A writer from "Hindu Tamil Thisai" using the "nom de plume" "Cinema Pithan" compared "Guru Sishyan" to many other Rajinikanth films from the 1980s like "Polladhavan" (1980), "Moondru Mugam" (1982), "Naan Mahaan Alla" (1984) and "Naan Sigappu Manithan" (1985) because revenge is a mutual theme in them, while other sources identify it as a treasure hunt film in the vein of the "Indiana Jones" films. S. Rajanayagam writes that the scene in which the jailer advises Raja not to visit the jail again, and Raja asks why he should have to come to the jail if those outside are good, mirrors many films in which Rajinikanth's character submits himself to the law and gets punished as a routine but does not generally feel guilty about his petty crimes and is depicted as taking for granted that minor offences are a part of daily living.