Ramesh Selvan, director of the films Ulavuthurai (1998) and Jananam (2004), announced that he would be making a comeback in early 2010, revealing that he was working a project titled Kalavaram with Sathyaraj in the lead role.
Kalavaram was revealed to be based on a true story, that of the biggest riot that has ever taken place in Tamil Nadu, with Sathyaraj playing a deputy police commissioner who heads an investigation commission.
[5] Around the same period, Ramesh directed Thalaivan which he opted out due to health problems and the film was also involved in a legal tussle with the makers of the Vijay-starrer Thalaivaa, accusing them of failing to live up to their commitments.
It opened to mixed reviews, with a critic from The Hindu noting the film has a "messy plot" and that it "never becomes anything more than a generic action movie, with generally underwhelming performances and staging".
[7] A critic from the New Indian Express noted the film is "interesting in parts" and "a more coherent screenplay and consistency in treatment could have made it an engaging fare.