Veteran music composer Deva passes away: MK Stalin offers emotional tribute, "Gaana became synonymous with Deva himself"

Remembering the veteran music composer, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin paid his tributes on X.

I was deeply shocked to hear the news of the passing of 'Thenisai Thendral' Deva. Deva possessed a pure, guileless heart, entirely free from jealousy, deceit, or cunning. He was instrumental in bringing the 'Gaana' genre into mainstream film musicto such an extent that the term 'Gaana' became synonymous with Deva himself. Coming from a simple rural background to Chennai, he rose to become one of the leading music directors in the South Indian film industry, serving as an inspiration to many. He composed music for films featuring all the top superstars, playing a pivotal role in their success, Stalin wrote.

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In a homage to Devas music legacy and his collaboration with superstar Rajinikanth, Stalin further added, In particular, his collaborations with Superstar Rajinikanthin films like Annamalai, Baashha, and Arunachalamproduced massive hits. The enduring impact of his work is evident in the fact that, even today, Rajinikanths name appears on screen accompanied by Devas music. There is likely not a single auto-rickshaw stand in Tamil Nadu where the song "Naan Autokkaran" has not been played. He also left his mark on the comedic films of the legendary Kamal Haasan, such as Avvai Shanmugi and Panchathanthiram. Beyond his work with Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, Deva also delivered numerous hits for 'Captain' Vijayakanth, including the song Paasamulla Pandiyare.

The former Tamil Nadu CM noted how the late music composer carved his own path, achieving great success.

Even during an era dominated by the legendary Ilaiyaraaja on one side and the musical phenomenon A.R. Rahman on the other, Deva carved out his own unique path and achieved great success. Beyond being a master of music, he was known by everyone who interacted with him as a truly kind-hearted person, he added.

Stalin also arrived at Devas residence in Chennais T Nagar to pay his final tributes.

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The late music composer Deva predominantly worked in Tamil cinema, making music for more than 400 films. He also composed music for Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films.

Deva famously composed the iconic title card music for superstar Rajinikanth, which has been consistently used for the actors film introductions. Deva was born on November 20, 1950. (ANI)