 The film received positive reviews and Anand won the National Film Award for Best Cinematography for his debut venture, with the award committee noting he showed "outstanding cinematography executed with sincerity, imagination and flexibility".Anand's first Tamil film was the romantic drama "Kadhal Desam" (1996), which also won critical acclaim for showcasing Chennai in a futuristic mould.He also then teamed up with director Shankar for the production of the political thriller "Mudhalvan" (2000), winning appreciation for his experimental camera ramping and the general grandeur.