• Padayappa's core idea was that of Rajinkanth's. It was Rajini who insisted on an anti-heroine line to KS Ravi Kumar which the director took and developed into Padayappa's script. Not many know that Rajinikanth had also asked two other directors to work on an anti-Heroine line, but it was KS Ravikumar's story that finally got green-lit.

• It is no secret that 90s was a time when the Rajinikanth-Jayalalithaa cold-war was at its peak; so many believed that the iconic Neelambarai character portrayed by Ramya Krishnan was based on the former CM of Tamil Nadu. However, it was officially revealed to be characterized on Nandini from Ponniyin Selvan.  
  

• Rajinikanth also wrote Padayappa's famous punch lines like En Vazhi Thani Vazhi [My way is a unique way] and Poda Aandavane Namma Pakkam Irukaan [Leave, Even the God is on our side] by himself. [En Vazhi Thani Vazhi is so synonymous with Rajinikanth's image that over the years, actors from other industries & even industrialists have used it in their references of the Superstar].     

• Another famous punch-line from the movie Adhigama Asapadra Ambalayum Adhigama Kobapadra Pombalayum Nalla Vazhnthatha Sarithirame Illa [Historically, a greedy man and a hot-tempered woman have never lived well] was modified out of a punchline contributed by Rajni. 

Casting

• It was Rajinikanth who suggested Sivaji Ganesan for the role of his father in the movie. [It also happened to be Sivaji's last memorable role before his death in 2001]. 

• Actresses Meena and Nagma were initially considered for Neelambari's role before Ramya Krishnan was finalized.

• Simran would have paired opposite Rajinikanth as Vasundhra but late actress Soundarya filled in for the role eventually.

• Actress Shalini Ajith was the initial choice for Rajinikanth’s sister role, but actress Sithara ended up portraying the character instead.

The Kamal Link

• The original film had 22 reels and the team had planned to have 2 intervals, but when Rajini showed the film to Kamal Hassan (whose film Nayakan too had 22 reels) he asked Rajini and K.S. Ravikumar to further edit the film and finally, Padayappa came down to 14 reels with one interval.

Other facts

• Padayappa went on floors amid much fan-fare. The first day of shoot was clapped by the late K. Balachander, Rajinikanth's mentor in the film industry and was guarded with huge police protection. The then sitting CM of Tamil Nadu, the late Mu. Karunanidhi sent Rajini a personal letter of wish which even made it to front-page news in Tamil dailies.

• Neelambari's iconic Toyota Sera hatchback actually belonged to film's director KS Ravikumar and it featured in Padayappa on Rajinikanth's suggestion.

• The song Minsara Kanna had two versions, one crooned by Srinivas and other by Hariharan. Team went ahead with the Srinivas version as they both Rajinikanth and K.S. Ravikumar preferred it.

• Harris Jayaraj was working under A.R Rahman as keyboard player and during the re-recording session, it was Harris who used Rahman's title card sequence score to fill the Oonjal scene RR. [Rahman had left that scene empty due to time constraints and later approved Harris's improv]. This scene as lauded big-time post the film's release.