Veteran Music Composer Deva Dies at 75; Tamil Film Industry Mourns

Veteran music composer Deva died on Saturday at the age of 75 following cardiac arrest. He was known for composing music for more than 400 films, primarily in Tamil cinema, though his work extended across Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi productions.

Several prominent figures from the Tamil film industry expressed their grief on social media. Actor Kamal Haasan, who collaborated with Deva on multiple films including Avvai Shanmugi, Pammal K. Sambandam and Panchatanthiram, described him as "a vibrant soul, full of enthusiasm and zeal." Actor Karthi noted Deva's "boundless energy and childlike innocence," saying his melodies and music would remain part of cinema.

Choreographer Prabhudeva, who danced to Deva's compositions, and RJ Balaji, who worked with him on Mookuthi Amman, also shared tributes. Actress and politician Khushbu Sundar expressed shock at his passing, recalling that Deva had been healthy and present with the film community just days before his death.