Rajinikanth remembers Deva’s grace after Padayappa switch

Superstar Rajinikanth has shared an emotional video tribute to Tamil film composer Deva after news of the musician’s death. The message is less a eulogy than a portrait of a collaborator who, by Rajinikanth’s account, answered difficult professional news with uncommon grace.

Three hits, one honest conversation

Rajinikanth traced their partnership through three films that became major successes: Annamalai, Baashha and Arunachalam. That track record makes the next chapter more remarkable. When Padayappa was beginning, the actor’s friends suggested bringing in AR Rahman instead of Deva.

Rajinikanth said he approached Deva “with a heavy heart” and explained the situation. The composer’s response was immediate. He stood up, held Rajinikanth’s hand and said:

“Please go ahead, Rajini sir.”

Deva then added that working on three films with the superstar was already a blessing, and Rajinikanth recalled that he never harboured ill feelings.

Who Deva was beyond the hits

Rajinikanth also remembered the composer’s early years. As the eldest of five brothers, Deva performed at weddings and events alongside his siblings before breaking into films. Even after success, he kept his brothers close and created opportunities for them, which Rajinikanth described as the mark of a family man who never forgot his roots.

That background matters because Deva built his own musical identity in an era when Ilaiyaraaja dominated Tamil cinema. His sound, Rajinikanth suggested, was hard-won and distinctly his own.

The final meeting, and a wish left unfinished

Deva met Rajinikanth around two-and-a-half years ago to plan a concert and asked him to inaugurate it. The event went on to become a major success. Around three months before his passing, the two met again, and Deva was upbeat about the younger generation’s response to his music.

Rajinikanth recalled the composer telling him:

“Sir, I am very happy with the response from youngsters. I will live for another 10 to 15 years and then go.”

Reflecting on the sudden loss, Rajinikanth added:

“God must have thought, ‘You are such a good person. Come to me while you are happy,’ and called him away.”

He ended his message with prayers for Deva’s soul and condolences to the bereaved family.

Why this tribute resonates

For Hindi film fans who know Rajinikanth mainly through his dubbed hits, Deva’s name may be less familiar. But the story translates easily: it is about how an industry handles a star’s changing needs without turning a collaborator into a casualty.

• Annamalai, Baashha and Arunachalam — Deva’s three Rajinikanth successes.
• Padayappa — the film where AR Rahman took over music, with Deva’s blessing.
• Around three months ago — Deva’s last meeting with Rajinikanth, full of plans for another decade.

For fans, the simplest tribute is to revisit the soundtracks of Annamalai and Baashha; the grace in the music is the same grace Rajinikanth described. There is no villain in this story. There is a friend’s honest request, a composer’s graceful yes, and a final lesson in wishing others well.

Source: The Times of India