Deva, the veteran composer and singer who brought the street-born Gaana style of Chennai into the heart of Tamil film music, died in Chennai on October 17, 2026. He was 75. He had been admitted to hospital that morning. Fans knew him as “Thenisai Thendral”, a breeze of sweet music, and the industry as the “Godfather of Gaana”.
From Chennai to the film studios
Born Devanesan Chokkalingam, Deva grew up steeped in the music of Chennai’s working-class neighbourhoods, where Gaana, a rhythmic, folk-rooted song form sung at gatherings and funerals, was part of everyday life. He turned that sound into a signature, blending it with film orchestration in a way that made it popular far beyond the city.
More than 400 films
Over three decades Deva composed music for more than 400 films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. His scores for Rajinikanth’s Annamalai (1992) and Baasha (1995), whose title theme became one of the most recognisable pieces in Tamil cinema, and for Vijay’s Kushi (2000) remain enduring favourites. He also sang many of his own songs, and his catchy, high-energy tunes made him one of the most in-demand composers of the 1990s.
A musical family and tributes
Music ran through his family. His son, Srikanth Deva, is a film composer, and his brothers Sabesh and Murali work together as the composing duo Sabesh–Murali. News of his death prompted tributes from across Tamil Nadu, among them the state’s governor and the actor and politician Khushbu Sundar, as fans recalled songs that had soundtracked their lives.