The film, based on M. Karunanidhi's novel Surulimalai,[1] stars Uday Kiran, Meera Jasmine, Richard, Rambha, and debutant Sudharsana Sen, while Vivek and Radha Ravi play supporting roles.

In the melee, Simha Perumal's gang shut down the power, Mythilli was on the floor shot in the head, and there was a gun in Surya's hand.

In a sudden turn of events, Ilavenil was replaced by a newcomer, Bali Srirangam, and the film had undergone a change of title with the makers naming it as "Pen Singam".

Behindwoods rated the film 1 out of 5 and mentioned "Overall, Pen Singam has got a pretty neat script, which holds one’s attention, but lacks in contemporary value.

[7] Rediff noted "Technically, the film manages to scrape through; it's the script that stumbles and almost grinds to a halt frequently, while the cast itself looks clueless and plain out of it, at times.

[8] Times of India wrote "Decades ago when Muthuvel Karunanidhi’s dialogues hit the silver screen, they were agents of change, awakening social consciousness.

However, although the film deals with current day issues [..], the dialogues are sorely lacking in the criticism and searing commentary of his early writings.

[9] Hindustan Times wrote "The scripting and direction are so casual that the film often appears jerky, and with performances that are terribly amateurish, Penn Singam is awfully disappointing".