Devanesan Chokkalingam — the Tamil composer and vocalist who performed under the name Deva and carried the title 'Thenisai Thendral' — died in Chennai on Saturday, 17 October. He was 75.

Across nearly four decades and more than 400 films in South Indian languages, Deva's work brought Chennai's gaana tradition — a street-born musical form long associated with the city's margins — into mainstream cinema.

Devanesan Chokkalingam was born on 20 November 1950 and was working in music before the Tamil film industry came to associate that name with the stage identity of Deva. His early musical grounding included piano studies under Dhanraj Master, the same teacher whose students would later include film composer Ilaiyaraaja. Training in Indian classical music on the harmonium came through lessons with J B Krishna.

Two brothers — Sabesh and Murali — who had built careers as instrumentalists under well-known music directors, opened doors for him into the film world. His entry into Tamil film music came through the 1986 production Mattukkara Mannaru, marking the start of his career as a composer in the industry.

Two films — Manasukketha Maharasa and Vaigasi Poranthachu — helped establish Deva as a fixture in the industry. Records from that year show he put his name to scores for 36 separate film productions throughout 1996. Over time, his output spread into Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam productions, drawing viewership well outside the Tamil industry where he had begun.

In a post on X, actor Karthi paid tribute to the late composer, noting that Deva's personal warmth and youthful spirit were qualities that stood alongside his musical contributions. Music composer Sam CS extended condolences, noting that the composer's body of work — the melodies and songs associated with his career — would endure in the memories of those who valued it. His contributions to Tamil music have been recognised as a distinctive force within the genre.

Rajinikanth was present at the gathering held to honour Deva's memory. Footage posted to X by a news outlet showed the Jailer 2 actor making his way to the home of Deva's family to pay his respects. Rajinikanth's filmography and some of Tamil cinema's widely recognised musical sequences have long been part of the body of work tied to Deva's career as a composer. Three films brought him and the actor into creative partnership — Annamalai in 1992, Baashha three years on, and Arunachalam rounding out the run in 1997. Music for Rajinikanth's title card was also handled by Deva.

Among the accolades attached to Deva's name across his working years were a Kalaimamani citation from the Tamil Nadu government and a State Film Award recognising his contributions as a music director. His work on Amrutha Varshini drew a Filmfare Award for Best Music Director, a result that brought him into the circle of composers the Kannada film industry had formally acknowledged.