After T. M. Soundararajan's death in May 2013, M. Ramesh of "Business Line" wrote: "The unforgettable sequences from ... ["Thiruvilaiyadal"] ... have forever divided the world of Tamil music lovers in two: those who believe that the ["Oru Naal Podhuma"] of the swollen-headed Hemanatha Bhagavathar could not be bested, and those who believe that Lord Shiva's "Paattum Naane Bhavamum Naane" won the debate hands down". The character of Dharumi was parodied in "Iruttula Thedatheenga", a play staged in November 2013. In a January 2015 interview with "The Times of India", playwright Y. G. Mahendran said: "Most character artists today lack variety [...] Show me one actor in India currently who can do a "", a VOC, a "Vietnam Veedu", a "Galatta Kalyanam" and a ." After Manorama's death in October 2015, "Thiruvilaiyadal" was ranked eighth on "The New Indian Express" list of top movies featuring the actress.