Critical response

Srikanth Srinivasa of Rediff.com scored the film at 2 out of 5 stars and says " Director Phaneesh could have put a lot more drama into his narrative. There are some flaws that the audiences can easily spot that could have been avoided. The film is a tad too long with some unnecessary scenes. Andar Bahar is a family entertainer that is a good watch".^[5] A critic from The Times of India scored the film at 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Shivrajkumar is a master in both action and sentimental sequences. Parvathi Menon is equally brilliant. Raghuram shines as the hero’s friend. The Srinath-Arundhati Nag pair is disappointing. Shekhar Chandra has captured some lovely frames with his camera. Vijay Prakash has done a good job as music director".^[6] A Shardhha of The New Indian Express wrote The Verdict : Hope the other side of Shivarajkumar works wonders with the audience. A must-see for an all round fine performance".^[7] B S Srivani from Deccan Herald wrote "Andhar Bahar offers a peek into the conflict and subsequent turmoil inside a soul which influences all our actions. A must-watch for Shivanna, and sensible film, fans".^[8] A critic from Bangalore Mirror wrote  "There are two star performers in the movie. One, Parvathi Menon, who despite a slight accent that reminds you of Tamil actress Suhasini dubbing in Kannada, gives a brilliant performance which sometimes outdoes even Shiva Rajkumar. The other is cinematographer Shekar Chandru. He is a true magician. The film is good only if you manage to sit through it completely".^[9]