Composer Deva, who took gaana into Tamil cinema, dies in Chennai at 75

Deva, the music director who brought the street sound of Chennai's gaana songs into mainstream Tamil cinema, died in Chennai on Saturday, October 17, 2026. He was 75. He had been admitted to a private hospital in Kodambakkam, where, according to reports from the city, he did not respond to treatment; one report said he had suffered a heart attack, while others said the cause had not been formally disclosed. Known to fans as "Thenisai Thendral", Deva composed songs and background scores for more than 400 films in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada across four decades. DMK leader M.K. Stalin was among those who offered condolences, describing the composer in a Tamil message as a man with a pure heart who knew no jealousy or deceit.

Deva's death closes a chapter in Tamil film music that many listeners grew up with. Through the late 1980s and the 1990s he was one of the busiest composers in the industry, working at a pace few others matched. His filmography of more than 400 titles spans star vehicles, family dramas, romances and comedies, and many of his songs still play at weddings, temple festivals and college events across Tamil Nadu.

His most lasting contribution is often said to be gaana. The form grew out of the working-class neighbourhoods of north Chennai, where singers improvised songs about love, loss, death and daily life, usually to simple percussion. Before Deva, this music was rarely heard in big films. He gave it a place in commercial cinema, and in doing so opened a door for later composers and for gaana singers who went on to record for films. Today gaana tracks are a regular part of Tamil film albums, and that wider acceptance traces back to the path he opened.

His association with Rajinikanth gave him some of his most recognisable work. The music of "Annamalai", "Baashha" and "Arunachalam" came at the height of the actor's popularity. For a generation of cinema-goers, Deva's scores were part of what made those films feel like events.

His work also crossed language lines. Apart from Tamil, he composed for Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films, which helped carry his style to audiences across south India.

Short-term: Tributes are expected to pour in from the Tamil film industry, musicians and political leaders through the weekend, and fans are likely to gather to pay their last respects in Chennai. Television channels and radio stations are likely to replay his best-known songs.

Long-term: His death is likely to renew attention on the history of gaana and on the composers of the 1990s whose work is now being rediscovered by younger listeners on streaming platforms. His large body of work remains in circulation through film soundtracks.

Who is affected: His family, his collaborators in the Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada film industries, the gaana singers and musicians whose genre he brought to wider audiences, and millions of listeners for whom his songs are part of everyday life.

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