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Highlights

• Veteran Tamil composer Deva has died in Chennai at the age of 75.
• Known as Thenisai Thendral, he helped bring Chennai’s gaana music into mainstream Tamil cinema.
• From Rajinikanth’s Baashha to Ajith Kumar’s Aasai, his compositions shaped the sound of Tamil cinema across generations.

Veteran Tamil film composer and singer Deva has died at the age of 75, leaving behind a musical legacy spanning nearly four decades and more than 400 films.

Born Devanesan Chokkalingam, Deva became one of Tamil cinema’s most recognisable composers through his blend of catchy melodies, folk influences and gaana rhythms. Affectionately known as Thenisai Thendral, meaning a breeze of sweet music, he helped take Chennai’s street-music tradition to a wider audience through mainstream film soundtracks.