Music composer Deva, popularly known to fans as Thenisai Thendral (breeze of sweet music) and a veteran of Tamil movies, has died, Indian media reported.
He was rushed to a private hospital in Chennai on Saturday (Oct 17), following age-related ailments and health complications, but died despite treatment.
Born in 1950 in Mylapore, Chennai, as Devanesan Chokkalingam, he made his debut as a music composer with the 1989 film Manasukketha Maharasa. Over his career, he composed music for more than 400 films in multiple languages.
Deva’s composition ’Thanjavooru Mannu Eduthu’ from the film Porkkaalam (1997) was played at the State Funeral of former Singapore President S R Nathan in 2016.
It was Mr Nathan’s favourite song and his last wish, as he saw it as a metaphor for Singapore’s multiracial heritage. The song was played at the funeral ceremony at NUS University Cultural Centre in the presence of world leaders.
The 76-year-old Deva carved out a distinctive place in Tamil cinema with popular soundtracks for films such as Annamalai and Baashha. He composed several hit songs for leading actors, including Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Vijay and Ajith Kumar.
During the 1990s, when Ilaiyaraaja and AR Rahman dominated Tamil film music, Deva established a unique identity and enjoyed a loyal following.
