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The Musical Journey of Deva Father of Gaana Music and Thenisai Thendral
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News18•17-10-2026, 12:41
The Musical Journey of Deva Father of Gaana Music and Thenisai Thendral
- •Born as Mangadu Chockalingam Devanesan, Deva showed a deep passion for music from a very young age and learned Western music formally.
- •He transformed local Gaana music from Chennai into mainstream film music, earning him the title Father of Gaana Music.
- •The 1990 film Vaikasi Poranthachu marked a major turning point in his cinematic music career.
- •He composed blockbuster music for top stars including Rajinikanth, Vijay, and Ajith across a career spanning over 400 films.
- •He has been honored with prestigious awards like the Kalaimamani award and multiple Tamil Nadu State Film Awards.
Key Questions Answered
To carve out a unique identity between major music legends like Ilaiyaraaja and emerging contemporaries, Deva chose to adapt the street folk and gaana music of Chennai into mainstream cinema.
Deva was given the title "Thenisai Thendral" by M.S. Viswanathan and the "Kalaimamani" award by the Government of Tamil Nadu. He also won Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Best Music Director for "Vaikasi Poranthachu", "Aasai", and "Kushi", alongside a Filmfare Award for the Kannada film "Amrutha Varshini".
Renowned music composer Deva passed away at the age of 75 on Saturday, October 17, 2026, after suffering a heart attack.
