Music composer Deva dies at 75 in Chennai

Veteran South Indian music composer Deva, affectionately known as ‘Thenisai Thendral’, passed away on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at the age of 75. He died following a sudden cardiac arrest at Surya Hospital in Chennai.

Over a career spanning nearly four decades, Deva composed music for more than 400 films across Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam cinema. He is widely credited with bringing the ‘gaana’ folk music genre into mainstream Tamil cinema. His notable works include soundtracks for superstar Rajinikanth’s films such as ‘Annamalai’, ‘Baashha’, and ‘Arunachalam’, as well as Ajith Kumar’s ‘Aasai’ and Vijay’s ‘Kushi’. He also composed for Kamal Haasan’s ‘Avvai Shanmugi’ and ‘Panchatanthiram’.

Prominent figures across the film industry and political sphere, including Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, AR Rahman, and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, paid tribute to his legacy. Deva was a recipient of the Tamil Nadu government’s ‘Kalaimamani’ award and was recognized for his significant contributions to South Indian film music.