Despite being a box office failure, the film received critical acclaim, and Haasan's performance won him the Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Actor.

Nancy is eventually due to be married to another man selected by her father, but aided by her grandfather, escapes from the church and elopes with Raghu / Chandram.

[3] Despite receiving critical acclaim,[26] the film was a box office failure, and Haasan had to work seven to eight years to recover from the loss he incurred.

[28] Kalki, in its review of the Tamil version, called the story ordinary, but said the dialogues and Rao's direction polished the film and lauded Haasan's performance, adding that Prasad outshined everyone else.

[29] S. Shiva Kumar wrote in Mid-Day, "Some breath taking photography, slick editing and lilting music contribute in making Raja Parvai a clean and enjoyable movie".

[30] Reviewing the Telugu version, Gudipoodi Srihari of the magazine Sitara wrote that barring a few sequences, the film was fairly enjoyable yet inspirational.

[1] In 2010, Sify included Raja Paarvai in its list, "Kamal's most memorable romantic films", where it praised Haasan and Madhavi's onscreen rapport, the visuals and the climax.