Veteran Tamil music composer Deva, popularly known as “Thenisai Thendral,” passed away in Chennai on October 17, 2026, at the age of 75, prompting an outpouring of tributes from the film industry. Rajinikanth visited Deva’s residence to pay his final respects to the composer, who created music for several of his films, including Annamalai, Baashha and Arunachalam.
Deva also composed the iconic title music associated with Rajinikanth’s on screen introduction. Kamal Haasan remembered the late musician as his “dear brother” and recalled working with him on films such as Avvai Shanmugi, Pammal K. Sambandam and Panchatanthiram. With a career spanning several decades and music for more than 400 films across multiple South Indian languages, Deva helped bring Chennai’s gaana music into mainstream cinema, leaving behind a lasting musical legacy.
