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Not just Gaana: Remembering Melody King Deva and his timeless hits
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News18•17-10-2026, 14:35
Not just Gaana: Remembering Melody King Deva and his timeless hits
- •Renowned music composer Deva, who revolutionized Gaana songs in Tamil cinema, passed away due to ill health.
- •Known as Thenisai Thendral, Deva was equally a master of soulful melodies that captured the hearts of fans.
- •Director Mani Ratnam was so impressed by Deva's melodies in Kattabomman that he signed him for Aasai.
- •Deva delivered blockbusters and mesmerizing melody tracks for leading stars like Ajith, Vijay, Prashanth, Karthik, and Murali.
- •His iconic albums like Kadhal Kottai, Vaali, and Mugavari remain etched in the history of Tamil cinema.
Key Questions Answered
Director Mani Ratnam took notice of Deva after listening to the melody songs from the film Kattabomman, which led him to hire Deva as the music composer for the film Aasai produced by Madras Talkies and directed by Vasanth.
Deva provided breeze-like melody and Gaana songs for Ajith's turning-point film Kadhal Kottai, and later added extra strength to his movies through hit music in films like Vaali and Mugavari.
Popularly known as 'Thenisai Thendral', Deva composed music for over 400 films across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada cinema, earning critical acclaim and a Filmfare Award for the Kannada film Amrutha Varshini.
