Suriya pays last respects to composer Deva after missing funeral

Actor Suriya has paid his last respects to veteran Tamil music composer Deva at the composer’s residence in Chennai, after missing the funeral because he was away on a film shoot. The visit was quiet, personal and unhurried: Suriya met Deva’s family, offered condolences and placed floral tributes before the composer’s portrait. Heavy rain in the city did not keep him away.

Suriya’s father, actor Sivakumar, had attended the funeral earlier and represented the family. Once Suriya returned to Chennai, he went straight to the home of the man who had scored his very first film. He spoke with Deva’s son, composer Srikanth Deva, and other relatives, offering them support in their grief.

A bond that began with his debut

For Suriya, this was not just an industry formality. Deva composed the music for Nerukku Ner (1997), the film that introduced Suriya as an actor. The album gave Tamil audiences the still-remembered songs “Manam Virumbudhe Unnai” and “Aval Varuvaala.” Deva then went on to score several of Suriya’s earliest projects, becoming part of the actor’s formative years on screen. Among their collaborations:

• Nerukku Ner
• Kaadhale Nimmadhi
• Sandhippoma
• Uyirile Kalanthathu

For a newcomer, a debut film’s music can be the first introduction an audience gets. Deva’s tunes, with their mix of melody and energy, helped shape how Suriya arrived in Tamil cinema. The connection is easy to miss if you only look at the actor’s later blockbusters, but those early collaborations are where a Tamil film newcomer began to build trust with audiences.

A legacy that reaches beyond one star

Deva, known as the “Thenisai Thendral” of Tamil cinema, left a wide musical footprint of memorable melodies and energetic gaana songs. His work remained popular across generations, and the response to his death showed just how deep that connection ran. Tributes came from actors, filmmakers, political leaders and fans, with Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan and Vijay among those paying their respects. His funeral was held with state honours, and he was later laid to rest at his native village of Chakramallur near Arcot in Ranipet district.

That public mourning, however, is only one part of the story. A house visit after the crowds have left is different — it is personal rather than performative. Suriya returning to Chennai and still choosing to visit the family, despite the rain and the demands of a film schedule, reads as a gesture of gratitude, not obligation.

What it means for fans

For Tamil and Hindi film lovers who grew up with Deva’s songs, the story is a reminder of how film music creates memory. The same composer can score a star’s first film and still be celebrated decades later by a new generation of listeners. Suriya’s visit closes a personal loop: the actor who began his journey with Deva’s music came to say goodbye in person, even if he could not be at the funeral.

That image — a star standing before a late composer’s portrait, flowers in hand — is a small but meaningful postscript to a career that gave Tamil cinema so much of its sound.

Source: The Times of India