Rajinikanth, CM Vijay mourn composer Deva's death, visit his Chennai home

Superstar Rajinikanth paid an emotional tribute to veteran Tamil music composer Deva, popularly known as Thenisai Thendral, at his Chennai residence on Saturday, October 17. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay also visited the late composer’s home to pay his last respects, meet the family and offer his condolences.Rajinikanth appeared visibly emotional as he stood before Deva’s mortal remains and offered his condolences to the bereaved family. He also consoled the family members but did not address the media during his visit. Deva composed music for several of Rajinikanth’s films, making their association a memorable part of Tamil cinema. He even madeFollowing Rajinikanth’s visit, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and actor Vijay also arrived at Deva’s residence to pay his final respects. Several other political leaders and film personalities have visited the composer’s home to offer condolences to his family.Full Video Of @CMOTamilnadu paying his final respects to the legendary Deva Sir May his soul rest in peace https://t.co/Rh7mAc3DHs— Arun Vijay (@AVinthehousee) October 17, 2026Kamal Haasan also shared his condolences on X and wrote, “The news of my dear brother Deva's passing is shocking. He was a vibrant soul, full of enthusiasm and zeal, with a penchant for light-hearted humour and hearty laughter. Memories of the joyful times we shared working together on films like *Avvai Shanmugi*, *Pammal K. Sambandam*, and *Panchatanthiram* come flooding back. My heartfelt tribute to him. My deepest condolences and words of comfort to his family (sic).” Khushbu Sunder also condoled the death on X and 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 (sic).”Composer Devanesan Chokkalingam, popularly known as Deva, died at a hospital in Chennai today. He was 75. The cause of his death has not yet been disclosed. Over a career spanning nearly four decades, he composed songs and background scores for more than 400 films across Tamil, Kannada, Telugu and Malayalam cinema. He even scored the iconic theme for Superstar Rajinikanth's title card, which is used in all his films. He made his full-fledged debut as a composer in Tamil cinema with Mattukkara Mannaru in 1986. His first major film featuring established stars was Manasukketha Maharasa, released in 1989, followed by projects such as Vaigasi Poranthachu, which helped establish his presence in the industry.- Ends