[5] Abhinav Subramanian of The Times of India gave 2/5 stars and wrote "Despite competent performances — Shane Nigam and Kalaiyarasan do their level best to rise above the din — Madraskaaran can’t overcome the weight of its own contrivances.

Even as the film has some emotional stretches to give him that space, an incoherent screenplay that doesn’t immerse you, makes Madraskaaran a letdown and wasted opportunity.

"[21] Gopinath Rajendran of The Hindu wrote "On the whole, Shane Nigam and Kalaiyarasan do their best to steer this action drama towards victory, but the contrived writing that results in convenient and predictable revelations makes Madraskaaran drive right into a wall.

"[22] Malaiarasu M of News18 wrote, "Director Vali Mohan Das has tried to tell various things with a screenplay full of twists and turns, such as an unexpected accident, the events surrounding it, the pain caused by guilt, the unforgivable 'ego' of human minds, the 'tightness' that grips caste, and the 'dictatorship' of the village".

[23] Akshay Kumar of Cinema Express wrote "It is disheartening to not find a single impressive character or an overriding emotional core in a film like Madraskaaran, where the bare minimum expectation is to appeal to our senses, if not intelligence".