Ennu Ninte Moideen

The film was among the seven films selected to be screened in the Malayalam Cinema Today section of the 20th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK).[19] However, director R. S. Vimal decided to withdraw the film from the festival as it was not included in the Competition Section.[20]

The Hindu wrote that the film "presents a classic case of how a compelling real life incident can be adapted for the screen without compromising on the aesthetics of the medium."[21] Writing for the same newspaper, Baradwaj Rangan stated, "Even with flatly written characters and plodding narration, the film strikes a chord. We respond to the film because few among us have experienced a love so mythic — it's the amative equivalent of cheering for Erik Weihenmayer, the blind man who conquered Everest."[22]

Veeyen of Nowrunning.com rated 3/5 and opined that it is "a slow-burner that invites its viewers to soak themselves in a compelling romantic tale that is prudently drawn from real life." He added: "A pithy, well-acted and remarkably crafted film, this devastating narrative of love, comes across as a true celebration of the tender, expectant spirit that lies deep within it." He further commented on the film maker by stating that "..some brilliant movies are based on such true stories, and Vimal can rest assured that he has done fine justice in adapting the much admired real-life chronicle on to the big screen."[23] Hailing the film as "probably the best love story to have graced the screens in the last decade in Malayalam Cinema," Rejath RG of Kerala Kaumudi described it as " a masterful piece of cinema that is sure to leave a long lasting impression in the hearts of moviegoers." He commented on the filmmaker saying, "R S Vimal has made a gem of a movie, an unforgettable love story of epic proportions."[24]

G. Ragesh of Malayala Manorama rated the film 3.5/5 and described it as "a love saga at its ethereal best". He wrote: "Apart from being an inquiry into the unknown realms of human emotions such as love, revenge and envy the film has a smooth narrative which offers a glimpse into the socio-political milieu of the time." He appreciated Vimal's direction, saying that "the clarity with which the director worked on it [the film] is remarkable."[25]

Describing the film as "one of the best ever love stories made in Malayalam cinema and the best movie of recent times," Akhila Menon of Filmibeat.com gave a rating of 4/5. She wrote: "It is wonderful to watch the classic form of romance back on the screen, in its complete glory." She added that a "well-written script plays the backbone for the film" and "the only minus factor [of the film] is, Kanchanamala gets over-shadowed by Moideen certain points."[26] Kanchanamala became an icon of woman sacrifice for eternal love as per the readings of R. Suresh Kumar in online news paper Azhimukham.[27] Sethumadhavan of Bangalore Mirror rated the film 4/5 and said, "Despite the story being so old, the screenplay is powerful enough to hook the audience and make one ignore a few loose ends. Whenever and wherever cinematic liberty has been taken, it does not come across as jarring."[28] Shyamlee Ahmed of The American Bazaar noted that the "powerful story is a far cry from the modern day puppy love stories coming out of Bollywood" and that the film "will be here to stay in our hearts "ennum" (forever), for its effervescent one of a kind eternal love."[29]

The film collected approximately ₹81 lakh on the first day of release and ₹1.25 crore in the second day, with Malabar region contributing a major share.[30] It collected ₹6.32 crore in 6 days[31] and ₹10.5 crore when it completed 9 days from Kerala alone.[32][33] The film collected ₹19 crores from 18 days from Kerala alone.[34][35] On 14 October 2015, Filmibeat.com reported that the film's gross collection crossed ₹21.8 crore, making it the biggest hit in Prithviraj's career.[36] Within a month of release, the film's collection from Kerala theatres alone was ₹27.2 crore.[37] It grossed about ₹ 32.67 crore and a net ₹ 25.56 crore from Kerala in 42 days; the film's all India gross crossed ₹ 37.50 crore for the same.[38] The film collected an estimated ₹ 45 crore from worldwide box office in its two months of release to become one of the highest grossing Malayalam films of all time.[39][40]