The song sung by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and Swarnalatha was featured in the 1991 film Thalapathi,[1] which was known to be the last collaboration of Mani Ratnam and Ilaiyaraaja, the former's regular composer until then.
[2] On the insistence of Mani Ratnam, Vaali had "blended" the original lines with Tevaram, a Śaiva devotional poetry.
[3] Set in the backdrop of a temple, the song's pulse changes when Shobana arrives with a group of women possessing oil-lamps, passing the dancers and floating those lamps on a pond.
[4] In 2002, as a part of its 70th anniversary celebrations, the BBC World Service conducted an international poll to choose the ten most popular songs of all time worldwide.
[1] "Rakkamma Kaiya Thattu" was leading the poll for a brief period of time leaving behind other popular singles such as Yesterday, Bohemian Rhapsody and Stairway to Heaven.