Selvaraghavan’s first film, Thulluvatho Illamai is something of a cult classic. The director received bouquets aplenty for the harsh realism in his film that stripped away the hypocrisies of a society that has traditionally chosen to ignore the sexual awakening of its youngsters and continues to pay the price for it. The brickbats followed with critics lambasting Selva for showing minors engaging in sexual activities, delinquency, and the use of alcohol and drugs.