Director Balu Mahendra had offered a leading role to actor Vikram, who was unable to take up the offer as a result of schedule clashes with his work in Ullaasam (1997).[3] The film's shoot became the epicentre of a dispute that arose between the Tamil Film Producers Council and Film Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI). It was reported that members of FEFSI had stopped the filming of Raman Abdullah as Mahendra was engaging outside cast members in the film.[4] This led FEFSI to go for an indefinite strike which affected to the delaying of several Tamil films.[5][6][7] During production, the makers had to change the name of the film from Abdul Raaman to Raman Abdullah following protests from the Muslim community.[8]
R. P. R. of Kalki wrote Even though the story is familiar till the first half, the director hides the boredom with a comedy thread, but in later half he shouldn't have messed up with unnecessary fights, Bombay villain gangs and godown climax but called Ilayaraja's music as only relief and concluded except for the title and the song in the beginning there is anything special about religious unity in the film, it could have been even titled as Kuppusamy Munusamy.[10] The film was a commercial failure,[11] but won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film (Special Prize).[12]
