Deva, veteran music composer, passes away | Funeral live updates

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Updated - October 17, 2026 04:15 pm IST

MADURAI, TAMIL NADU, 19/07/2017: Music director Deva during the interview with The Hindu Metroplus | Photo Credit: The Hindu

Tamil film music composer Deva, who brought gaana music into mainstream cinema and whose songs and background scores for Rajinikanth-starrers such as Annamalai, Arunachalam and Baashha became hugely popular, died on Saturday (October 17, 2026), aged 75. Hospital sources said he had no pulse when he arrived and that efforts to revive him remained futile.

Born Devanesan Chokkalingam, Deva worked in the Public Works Department (PWD) of the Tamil Nadu government before entering the film industry. His debut as a film music composer was with Mattukkara Mannaru in 1986; though the film failed at the box office, its songs later gained popularity. He began attracting attention with the Ramarajan-starrer Manasuketha Maharasa, and it was Vaikasi Poranthachu, released in 1990, that brought him wider recognition and his first Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Music Director.

His talent soon caught the attention of leading filmmakers, and Annamalai, starring Rajinikanth and Khushbu, proved to be a turning point, with its songs becoming chartbusters and establishing him as one of Tamil cinema’s most sought-after composers.

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In the 1990s, when Tamil film music largely reflected a duopoly vested with the established Ilaiyaraaja and the emerging A.R. Rahman, Deva stepped up and carved his own unique path.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay Mother Shoba Chandrasekar consoles music director Deva family at his residence in T. Nagar on Saturday.

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Photo: Velankanni Raj B

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay visited music director Deva’s residence in T. Nagar on Saturday to console his family.

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“Every music composer has a style of his own and is associated with a genre of music. I hail from Chennai, and gaana is inseparable from Chennaiites... It may sound raw, but the musicality of this genre is very deep,” the composer, popularly known as Thenisai Thendral Deva, had told The Hindu in an interview.

Born Devanesan Chokkalingam, Deva worked in the Public Works Department (PWD) of the Tamil Nadu government before entering the film industry. His debut as a film music composer was with Mattukkara Mannaru in 1986; though the film failed at the box office, its songs later gained popularity. It was Vaikasi Poranthachu (1990) that brought him wider recognition and his first Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Music Director, and Annamalai (1992), starring Rajinikanth, that proved to be his turning point, with all its songs becoming chartbusters.

Malayalam star Nivin Pauly wrote, “Rest in peace Deva, Sir. Your music will echo through generations.”

Actor Vijay Sethupathi said Deva’s passing “brings immense sorrow,” adding that his music “will forever live in our memories.”

Actor-director RJ Balaji, recalling his work with Deva on Mookuthi Amman, called it “a cherished memory” and said his legacy would live on through his music.

Actor-choreographer Prabhu Deva also paid tribute, saying Deva’s “timeless music will live on forever.”

DMK president M.K. Stalin said Deva had composed both mass songs and soulful melodies, citing his background score for Rajinikanth’s screen entries and the widely heard ‘Autokaran’ song, as well as his work in Kamal Haasan-starrers Avvai Shanmugi and Panchathanthiram.

He recalled that former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had conferred on Deva the title ‘Thenisai Thendral,’ and said Deva had carved a niche for himself in an industry dominated by Ilaiyaraaja and A.R. Rahman, calling him “a great human being” besides being a gifted musician.

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president B. Manickam Tagore said he was deeply saddened by the death of composer Deva, calling him “the voice of the 90s generation” for his gaana numbers and soulful melodies, and citing soundtracks such as Annamalai, Baashha, Aasai, Kadhal Kottai, Vaalee and Kushi as lasting treasures of Tamil cinema.

Actor and politician Kamal Haasan paid tribute to music composer Deva, calling him “a vibrant soul, full of enthusiasm and zeal,” and recalled their time working together on films including Avvai Shanmugi, Pammal K. Sambandam and Panchatanthiram. He conveyed his condolences to Deva’s family.

Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar expressed grief over the death of music composer Deva, saying his contribution to Tamil film music had enriched the State’s cultural landscape.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay expressed shock at the death of music composer Deva and conveyed his condolences to his family, friends and the film industry. In a statement on social media, Mr. Vijay said Deva “captivated the hearts of the common people with his folk songs,” adding that he had composed music for over 400 films across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada, and that his “musical journey and songs will forever endure in the history of film music.

Published - October 17, 2026 12:51 pm IST

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