Tamil film composer Deva, who scored Rajinikanth hits, dies at 75
Deva, a Tamil film composer known for hit songs in Rajinikanth films, died Saturday at 75, The Hindu and the Indian Express reported. He brought gaana, a street music style from Chennai, into big films. Doctors could not revive him, The Hindu and The Times of India reported.
Deva, the Tamil film music composer known as Thenisai Thendral, died on Saturday, October 17, at age 75, The Hindu and the Indian Express reported. He had no pulse when he reached the hospital, and doctors could not revive him, The Hindu and The Times of India reported.
The Indian Express reported that he died after a reported heart attack and that he had been taken to a hospital in Chennai at around 8:30 AM. The Times of India reported that a doctor said he had suffered a massive cardiac arrest, had an existing heart problem, and that the medical team tried to restart his pulse for up to an hour and a half.
Deva was best known for bringing gaana, the street music of Chennai, into mainstream Tamil cinema, The Hindu and The Times of India reported. His songs for Rajinikanth films such as Annamalai and Baashha became hugely popular, The Hindu, the Indian Express and The Times of India reported. The Indian Express reported that he composed the Annamalai theme, the Baashha soundtrack and the Arunachalam album, music that became tied to Rajinikanth's screen image.
Born Devanesan Chokkalingam, he worked in the Public Works Department of the Tamil Nadu government before he entered films, The Hindu reported. The Indian Express also gave his birth name. His first film as a composer was Mattukkara Mannaru in 1986, and Vaikasi Poranthachu in 1990 brought him his first Tamil Nadu State Film Award for best music director, The Hindu reported.
In a past interview with The Hindu, Deva said gaana "may sound raw, but the musicality of this genre is very deep." The Hindu reported that he also blended gaana with touches of Carnatic music, and that a devotional song he composed is still played in temples across Tamil Nadu in the early morning.
Hours after his death, Rajinikanth went to Deva's home in the T Nagar area of Chennai to pay his respects, the Indian Express reported. Other film stars and the chief minister of Tamil Nadu also paid tribute, the outlet reported. His body was kept at his home so that people from the film industry and the public could pay their respects, the Indian Express reported.
What we know: Deva died in Chennai on October 17 at age 75, and doctors could not revive him.
What we don't: Details of funeral plans.
Where outlets agree The Hindu, the Indian Express and The Times of India report Deva's death and his hit music for Rajinikanth films, and The Hindu and the Indian Express put his age at 75.
Where they differ The outlets cited here report the same key facts so far.