Rajinikanth pays tribute to legend Deva, recalls his reaction to choosing AR Rahman for Padayappa | Watch

New Delhi: Rajinikanth has remembered late music director Deva as a rare human being whose generosity and loyalty mattered more than professional rivalry. Paying tribute to the composer following his death on Saturday, the superstar recalled their work together on three successful films and shared how Deva graciously encouraged him to work with AR Rahman on Padayappa.

Rajinikanth visited Deva’s residence in Chennai to pay his respects and later shared a video message reflecting on their friendship. In the tribute, he spoke about the composer’s difficult early years, his commitment to his younger brothers and the distinctive musical identity he built in an industry dominated by Ilaiyaraaja.

Rajinikanth recalls Deva’s response to AR Rahman’s Padayappa casting

Remembering their professional association, Rajinikanth said Deva composed music for three of his films — Annamalai, Baasha and Arunachalam — all of which became major successes.

The actor then recalled how he approached Deva while preparing for Padayappa, after friends urged him to choose AR Rahman for the project.

Rajinikanth said, “When my friends insisted on opting for AR Rahman while making ‘Padaiyappa’, I went to Deva and told him that I was opting for AR Rahman, he stood up, held my hand and said, ‘Please, by all means, do so.’ I told Deva that I did not want him to mistake me. He replied, ‘I am saying this with happiness, please go ahead. That boy (AR Rahman) is coming up well. Please do well. I am very happy. It is my good fortune that I have done three films with you.’”

The episode, Rajinikanth said, reflected the composer’s character. Describing his friend as “a person of pure gold”, he said Deva had no place for lies or deceit and had overcome considerable hardship before finding success in cinema.

Superstar #Rajinikanth’s Condolence Message on the Demise of Legendary Music Composer Thenisai Thendral #Deva..

“He did Annamalai, Baasha, and Arunachalam with me, and all three were huge successes.. My friends compelled me to work with ARRahman for Padayappa, so I went to Deva with a heavy heart and informed him. He stood up, held my hands, and said, ‘Dhaaralama pannunga… Nalla payyan. Pudhusa vandhuttu irukanga. Nalla pannunga…’ He’s pure gold..”❤️ https://t.co/HmI8n1tfS4

— Laxmi Kanth (@iammoviebuff007) October 17, 2026

Rajinikanth praises Deva’s dedication to his family

The superstar also spoke about Deva’s responsibilities during his younger days. The composer had four younger brothers and performed at concerts and weddings to support them. Even after establishing himself in the film industry, he continued to keep his brothers close.

“He was such a wonderful family man and a good human being,” Rajinikanth said, recalling the care Deva took to ensure his family remained together.

He also acknowledged the composer’s ability to establish his own musical identity despite Ilaiyaraaja’s dominance at the time. Rajinikanth noted that Deva carved out a distinct style and went on to achieve considerable success.

Rajinikanth remembers Deva’s happiness after overseas concerts

Recalling a meeting from around two-and-a-half years ago, Rajinikanth said Deva had expressed his wish to perform concerts and asked the actor to inaugurate one. Rajinikanth said he was happy to attend the event.

Deva subsequently performed overseas and returned to meet the superstar after a tour. During another visit around three months ago, the composer spoke enthusiastically about the response he was receiving from younger audiences.

Rajinikanth recalled Deva saying, “‘I am very happy. Youngsters are welcoming me so happily. I am feeling so happy Rajini sir. With this happiness, I will live for another 10 to 15 years,’”

The actor ended his tribute by expressing his condolences to Deva’s family and reflecting on the timing of his death.

“Maybe God thought Deva was a very nice person and that he should come to him when he was happy itself and therefore called Deva to him. May his soul rest in peace. My deepest condolences to his family members,” Rajinikanth said.

Deva, a prominent composer in South Indian cinema, died at a private hospital in Chennai on Saturday. He had composed music for more than 400 films across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada cinema.