The early 1980s saw the making of films like 'Paneer Pushpangal' and Bharathiraja's 'Alaigal Oyvathillai' surrounding adolescent love and the self discovery path young lovers take to find out about their emotional and bodily changes that they start going through. While 'Panneer Pushpangal' was a very decent film bringing out the tenderness of a first crush and 'Alaigal Oyvathillai' had a touch of physical intimacy in a few scenes 'Thulluvatho Illamai' has depicted the realities and sometimes exaggerated scenes about the curiosity of school going teenagers towards their own sexuality and that of the opposite sex. You might find yourself nodding to a few scenes in the film and say"that-happened-to-me" but there are also too many scenes in the film, which makes you, go "wish-I-had-done-it" or may be "do-kids-do-it?" To a certain extent Kasthuri Raja has ripped the innocence and purity attached to first crush and love. Though like the other films Kasthuri Raja has tried emphasizing the fact that the youth should not always be seen with an element of doubt he need not have portrayed parents as total villains.

The story revolves around the fight, qualms, love and the "exploration of truth" about themselves that the two students set out to find. Kasthuri Raja's son plays the main role of the film, technically the 'hero'. Shilpa is his classmate and lover. Both of them are friends but later fall in love with parents doubting their relationship. Six friends - three guys and three girls escape from school to rehabilitate one of them who is a drug-addict. Ramesh Kanna serves as their aide or 'friend in need' with the age difference between the gang and him standing out like a sore-thumb. They finally come back home after their quest and mission to find out the truth. The acting of Kasthuri Raja's son and Yuvan Shankar Raja's music are praiseworthy apart from a good attempt by Kasthuri Raja to portray what is going on inside the mind of our youth. But has he overplayed it? If the censorboard has felt so by branding it with an "A" certificate so do we agree with the same.