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Legendary music composer Deva who composed Rajinikanth's intro music dies at 75; Khushbu Sundar, Chinmayi express shock

Music composer Deva died on October 17 at the age of 75. He died following a heart attack. The film industry and fans grieved his death.

Updated on: Oct 17, 2026, 12:33:24 IST
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Legendary music composer Deva died on October 17 at the age of 75. The man who composed the famous intro music that Rajinikanth now uses in all his films suffered a heart attack and was admitted to a private hospital before his death. Khushbu Sundar expressed shock at the news, having met the composer just 10 days before his death. Fans also mourned the death of the legend who composed music for Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, and Malayalam films.

Music composer Deva dies at 75

Deva has composed for Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, and Malayalam films in his decades-long career.
Deva has composed for Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, and Malayalam films in his decades-long career.

DT Next and Sun News reported that Deva died on October 17 at the age of 75. He died at a private hospital in Kodambakkam, Chennai, on Saturday following a heart attack. Reports state that he was admitted to Surya Hospital at around 8:30 AM. Further details of the circumstances of his death are awaited.

Khushbu Sundar expresses shock

Actor-politician Khushbu also confirmed Deva’s death on X (formerly Twitter) and expressed shock. Posting his picture, she wrote, “Absolutely devastated. Unbelievable. A man who was healthy and laughing, blessing and was part of us just 10 days ago is gone. Its heartbreaking. Thenisai Thendral as he was known, was indeed a man as sweet as honey and light hearted as the wind. His contribution to the world of music and cinema is beyond. Gone too soon. Why?? You will be missed Deva Sir. Rest in peace. #Deva #thenisaithendral #OmShanti.”

“The passing of the composer Deva sir, who left an indelible mark on the music world of Tamil cinema, brings immense sorrow. His music and songs will forever live in our memories. Deepest condolences,” wrote Vijay Sethupathi, while Chinmayi wrote, “Just dont know how to process the passing of Deva Sir. Huge loss.” Fans also expressed shock at his death, given that they had just seen his music for Rajinikanth at the opening of Jailer 2. “Just before a day was celebrating his composing in theatre #Jailer2..RIP #Deva sir. Ur songs & BGM will always travel lifelong,” wrote one fan.

Deva’s life and legacy

Devanesan Chokkalingam, born on November 20, 1950, died just weeks before his 76th birthday. He has composed music for over 400 films in South India. His debut came in 1986 with the Tamil film Maattukara Mannaru, and he composed music for numerous superstars throughout his career.

His score for Rajinikanth for the 1992 film Annamalai is used to date, as the ‘Super Star Rajni’ title card comes on-screen. Deva also gave memorable albums for Kamal Haasan, Vijay, Ajith Kumar, Pawan Kalyan, and others.

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeshita Nyayapati

Despite having a Master's degree in Journalism and over a decade of experience in print and digital media as a field reporter and sub-editor at organisations such as The Times of India and Reader's Digest, Neeshita Nyayapati remains a movie buff first and a Chief Content Producer second. She fell in love with movies in childhood and believes nothing matches the magic of watching a good film that moves you with a warm tub of popcorn in hand. Her love for writing about cinema follows that. Come Friday, you'll find her at her happy place, the movies, catching the latest rom-com or masala offering, for reviews or otherwise. As for the rest of the week, she's here reporting the juiciest news in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi or bringing out the best of celebs in interviews. While her niche is Telugu cinema, Neeshita likes to dabble in a little bit of everything to stay up to date. From film announcements to scandals and hard news angles, she has explored it all. A good book, a comforting cup of hot chocolate, puppy kisses and a stunning beach view are all she needs to unwind. Her passion for biking and travelling has taken her to various places across the country. She has found peace in everything from the frozen lakes of Gangtok to the coffee plantations of Coorg and the dense forests of Bandipur, to the monasteries of Darjeeling. But no matter where she goes, Neeshita loves coming across inspiring and moving stories.

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