The film was extensively shot in and around the town of Changanassery in Kottayam district, and was completed in 45 working days.

Produced on a budget of ₹75 lakh, Spadikam was released on 30 March 1995 to critical acclaim, primarily for the performances of the lead cast, dialogues and cinematography.

Spadikam, which attained cult status, is considered instrumental in introducing thug life glorification of Mollywood superstars on screen.

The film along with Devaasuram (1993) indirectly marked the beginning of a new image of Mohanlal, that of an action hero that would appeal to the masses.

His mother Mary and sister Jancy, are always left to choose sides, between the two of them; while Chacko's brother Manimala Vakkachan, supports Thoma.

In the flashback, unlike his father, Thoma wasn't interested in mathematics, but excelled in mechanical and electronic gadgetry.

He expects Thoma to be a mathematician like him and forces his teacher Ravunni to fail him on the notion that only low grades will provoke him to study harder.

When Thoma discovers this, he becomes outraged and burns the answer sheet in front of Ravunni and runs away from the village after stabbing Balu's right hand with a compass in anger and sorrow.

Thoma's relationship with a prostitute gets revealed when the police shame him publicly and Jancy's wedding almost fails, further angering his father.

The relationship between the two further declines after this incident, whereby entering into a fit of rage, Thoma cuts off the sleeves of his Chacko's shirts.

The Vicar of the local church, Thulasi and Vakkachan try to mediate between the two, by trying to get Thoma invited by his father, to attend Jancy's wedding.

Soon afterward, Thoma is stabbed by a goon Thorappan Bastin, who is employed by Pookoya, in retaliation for helping his daughter elope with her lover, the teacher.

After visiting his deceased father at the hospital Thoma is taken into police custody on charges of killing Kuttikadan, leaving the helpless family and Thulasi in tears.

Kiran Sebastian as Thomas Chacko's school friend It took two to three years of preparation for the film, the screenplay was rewritten a few times.

[8] Bhadran said he considered Mohanlal the best choice for the role because the character of Aadu Thoma as he was not only an alpha male but also had innocence and had self pity, he could emote all these characteristics perfectly.

Shobana was first offered the role of Thulasi, but she could not sign the film as she had to leave for the United States for a dance program she already committed.

Impressed by his physique, Bhadran offered him the role, only then he realized George had already acted in a few films, he immediately agreed.

The man who played a goon named Thorappan Bastin hired to finish off Aadu Thoma was originally a cop.

This delayed shooting plans by a month and a half [12] The film was extensively shot in and around the town of Changanassery in Kottayam district.

George was injured while performing a stunt scene where he jumps in front of a moving jeep driven by Mohanlal.

The original plan was to re-release the film in 4K Dolby Atmos in at least 100 theatres in Kerala during Onam 2020, but was halted after the COVID-19 pandemic.

[18] The remastered version is 8.5 minutes longer than the original film as a few additional shots and also a scene introducing the character of Aadu Thoma.

[20] On 29 November 2022, Mohanlal announced through social media that the remastered version of Spadikam will finally hit on theatres on 9 February 2023.

C Lalitha, Silk Smitha, Nedumudi Venu, Rajan P. Dev, N. F. Varghese, Sankaradi, Karamana Janardanan Nair, Paravoor Bharathan and Bahadoor.

[22][20] Sajesh Mohan of Onmanorama wrote "What makes Aadu Thoma irresistible is the superlative performance of Mohanlal.

However, At a time when political correctness is the buzzword, the viewers would find themselves at a tug of war while rewatching some of the Malayalam runaway hits and cult classics of yesteryears.

[23] Anna M. M. Vetticad of Firstpost wrote, "As I watched Spadikam this morning in a theatre in Delhi, I could not view it through a prism of nostalgia though.

For as much as the storyline is gripping and substantial, the film is/was also committed to exaggeration and over-statement in the writing of situations and  characters, and the acting by several members of the cast (Indrans’ over-acting in a supporting role, for one, is embarrassing to say the least); and the writer-director’s mindset regarding women characters other than Jancy and Mary was appalling.

"[27] In 2023, while reviewing the digitally remastered version, Anna M. M. Vetticad of Firstpost wrote, "The unflagging energy of the narrative, its pace, the script’s push to leave children unfettered so that they may follow their dreams, the songs, the charismatic cast and a career-elevating performance by Mohanlal are what make this film memorable.

He recalled in an interview that producer Mohan once approached him offering a Mercedes-Benz as remuneration for making a sequel to Spadikam, but he declined it.