The New Indian Express gave the film a mixed review citing that it was "vintage Bharatiraja at his best", while also adding that Riya Sen "shines in spite of an alien language and the totally strange cultural milieu in which she is placed". The film was initially slated to face a box office battle with several other big films, notably Kamal Haasan's Hey Ram, Mani Ratnam's Alaipayuthey, Rajiv Menon's Kandukondain Kandukondain, and Shankar's Mudhalvan, but the delay of the first three gave Taj Mahal a possible leeway to become a success.
The film was shot across areas including Kulu Manali, Badhami, Hampi, Bellari and Poomparai.
An exact replica of the Taj Mahal on Marina beach in Madras for a song sequence. ĭuring production, Bharathiraja considered giving his son a stage name of Manibharathi, but ultimately opted against doing so. The team started pre-production work in late 1997 and shooting began in 1998, with the project becoming Janani Cine Arts' most expensive production to date. Kannan and Madhu Ambat also signed the project, ending a long hiatus in Tamil films. Rahman was signed to score the music while veteran cinematographers B. Leading film-maker Mani Ratnam wrote the story for the film, while Rajiv Menon was also involved in initial script discussions but opted out after the film became a village-centric project. Riya Sen, daughter of Hindi actress Moon Moon Sen was signed on to play the leading female role. Bharathiraja introduced his son Manoj as an actor with the film, stating that his son should appear as an actor before fulfilling his dreams of working as a part of the crew.