Rajinikanth paid his final respects to Deva at his residence and appeared in video to share some thoughts about the composer, who passed away on Saturday. In his tribute, the Superstar recalled a difficult conversation he had with the music director regarding wanting to work with AR Rahman instead of him for Padayappa. By then, Deva had already composed music for Rajinikanth's films such as Annaamalai, Baashha, and Arunachalam, which made it difficult for the Superstar to convey his decision to the legendary composer.

Expressing his shock at the untimely demise of Deva, Rajinikanth said, "He had composed music for three of my films—Annaamalai, Baashha, and Arunachalam—and all of these were major successes. After that, during the making of Padayappa, I wanted to tell him that we wanted AR Rahman for the film. 'Please don't feel wrong about it,' I told him. And he stood up, shook my hand, and told me with much delight, 'He (Rahman) is a new and talented composer. Of course, you should do it with him.' He also said, 'I find it grateful to even do three films for you.'"

According to Rajinikanth, the incident signified Deva's innocence. "He is such a man with no hidden malice and with a heart of gold," the Superstar said about the Baashha composer.

The actor also spoke about Deva's difficult upbringing, noting how the composer performed 'kacheri' programs in wedding ceremonies to help raise his brothers. Rajinikanth added that the composer kept his siblings close and took care of them, despite achieving fame, and that the music director carved a space for himself even as Ilaiyaraaja was at his peak.

The actor also recalled an occasion where Deva expressed his desire to focus on live concerts, just like his contemporaries, and how he found success in that space as well. "After a recent concert tour, he came to see me and told me about his surprise and delight at seeing how his music made youngsters happy and expressed his desire to live with that happiness for another 10-15 years. It seems like God took him away when he was happy, saying, 'You are such a good person.'"