Veteran Tamil Music Composer Deva Passes Away at 75

Renowned Tamil film music director Deva died on Saturday at the age of 75 in a private hospital in Chennai. The Tamil Nadu government has announced that his final rites will be held on Sunday with full State honours.

Tributes And Mourning

His body is kept at his home in T. Nagar, Chennai, allowing supporters and members of the film industry to offer their final respects until one o'clock in the afternoon on Sunday. The body will then move to his home village of Mangadu, close to Arcot in Ranipet district, for the burial rituals. Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, and DMK president M.K. Stalin expressed deep grief over his death. Several film personalities, including director K.S. Ravikumar, actors Sivakumar, Anandharaj, Vijay Sethupathi, Nivin Pauly, Prabhu Deva, and actor-director RJ Balaji, visited his residence to pay their respects.

Career And Legacy

Born Devanesan Chokkalingam, he initially worked in the Tamil Nadu Public Works Department before starting his career in cinema. He debuted with the 1986 film Mattukkara Mannaru, while the 1990 movie Vaikasi Poranthachu earned him his first State Film Award. He created music for over four hundred films across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada languages. He gained widespread fame for his unique gaana style that mirrored the everyday lives of ordinary people, working on major star vehicles including Rajinikanth hits like Annamalai, Arunachalam, and Baashha, alongside Kamal Haasan films such as Avvai Shanmugi and Panchathanthiram. Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi founder Thol. Thirumavalavan praised him for taking Chennai's local gaana music to an international audience.

Context

Gaana is a traditional folk music genre deeply rooted in the working-class communities of northern Chennai. Composers like Deva played a pivotal role in bringing this raw street sound into mainstream commercial cinema during the nineteen-nineties. State honours for a funeral are typically reserved for exceptional public figures, artists, and leaders who have made profound contributions to Tamil Nadu's cultural and public life.