Story perspectives

Tamil composer Deva dies at 75 after cardiac arrest

By Drooid · Oct 17, 2026, 10:04 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Deva Dies

Veteran Tamil composer Deva died at age 75 in Chennai after cardiac arrest.
He was admitted to Surya Hospital around 8:30 am on October 17, 2026, following chest pain.
Deva composed music for more than 400 films across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada cinema.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay posted condolences, calling Deva’s loss irreplaceable.
He is survived by son composer Srikanth Deva and brothers Sabesh-Murali.

Summary

Deva Receives Title

Deva composed his first full-length film score for Mattukkara MannarU in 1986, and the music later became popular.
Before entering film music, Deva worked for the Tamil Nadu Public Works Department.
M.S. Viswanathan bestowed the title “Thenisai Thendral” on Deva in 1985 at a temple ceremony.
Deva studied piano with Dhanraj Master and harmonium under J.B. Krishna.
Following his death, Deva’s body was placed at his T-Nagar home for public respects.

History

Historical Context

Ilaiyaraaja’s 1976 debut on Annikili introduced synth-driven orchestration that broke from M. S. Viswanathan’s style, sparking a folk-rock fusion trend in Tamil cinema. The wave continued with Deva, who earned the ‘Thenisai Thendral’ title in 1985 and scored more than 400 films. Their combined output of over 1,000 soundtracks now drives archival projects and annual tribute concerts.

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Deva Dies

Veteran Tamil composer Deva died at age 75 in Chennai after cardiac arrest.
He was admitted to Surya Hospital around 8:30 am on October 17, 2026, following chest pain.
Deva composed music for more than 400 films across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada cinema.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay posted condolences, calling Deva’s loss irreplaceable.
He is survived by son composer Srikanth Deva and brothers Sabesh-Murali.

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