Composer Deva, who scored over 400 films, dies at 75

A last farewell in Chennai

Tamil cinema said goodbye to composer Devanesan Chokkalingam, known to fans as Deva and Thenisai Thendral, after he died in a Chennai hospital on Saturday, October 17, at 75. The cause of death has not been disclosed.

Superstar Rajinikanth visited the family home to pay his respects and was visibly emotional as he stood before the composer’s mortal remains, according to India Today; he consoled the family but did not address the media. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay also arrived at the residence to offer condolences. Kamal Haasan remembered him on X as “a vibrant soul, full of enthusiasm and zeal.” Khushbu Sunder wrote that he was “a man as sweet as honey and light-hearted as the wind.”

From 1986 debut to Rajinikanth’s title theme

Deva’s full-fledged Tamil debut came with Mattukkara Mannaru in 1986, and his first major project with established stars was Manasukketha Maharasa in 1989. Vaigasi Poranthachu helped establish his presence. Across nearly four decades, he scored more than 400 films in Tamil, Kannada, Telugu and Malayalam.

Hindi film fans may know him best for a piece of music with no lyrics: the title-card theme that opens Rajinikanth’s films. That burst of brass and energy has become part of the superstar’s on-screen ritual, and it remains one of the rare examples of a composer branding a star’s entry across an entire filmography.

Why Deva’s music still matters

Deva’s sound was built for the mass theatre moment: folk-flavoured melodies, heavy beats and memorable hooks that matched the larger-than-life personas of the 1990s Tamil hero. The milestones are simple to chart:

• 1986: Debut as full-fledged composer with Mattukkara Mannaru
• 1989: First established-star project, Manasukketha Maharasa
• 400+ films: Songs and background scores across four languages
• Signature work: The Rajinikanth title theme used in all his films

It would be a mistake to remember Deva only for the title theme. The filmography includes the playful, folk-flavoured soundtracks that defined Tamil commercial cinema in the 1990s, as well as work in Kannada, Telugu and Malayalam. Still, the title theme is the detail that makes the news land beyond Tamil Nadu.

For fans, the immediate way to respond is to return to the music. Play back the title theme, a Kamal Haasan comedy soundtrack such as Avvai Shanmugi, or the songs from Vaigasi Poranthachu. The best tribute is to let a 1990s Deva playlist take over. Since the family has not shared a cause of death, the respectful choice is to focus on his work rather than speculate about the circumstances.

Source: India Today