 In their "Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema", Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen termed "Rudraveena" a reformist film for Chiranjeevi which aimed to achieve "greater critical respectability" for the actor by "addressing caste in a calculated effort".Suresh Krishnamoorthy of "The Hindu" commented that "Rudraveena" showcased Chiranjeevi in a different light compared to "Marana Mrudangam", a successful mainstream film by the actor released in the same year.Mihir Fadnavis of "Daily News and Analysis" termed Chiranjeevi's performance in "Rudraveena" "possibly his best ever".