Veteran Tamil music composer Deva, popularly known as ‘Thenisai Thendral’, died at the age of 75 on Saturday following a reported heart attack. Hours after his demise, Rajinikanth arrived at Deva’s residence in T Nagar, Chennai with tears in his eyes. He paid his last respects to the man who composed the Annamalai theme, the Baashha soundtrack and the Arunachalam album, three films whose music became inseparable from Rajinikanth’s own identity.Deva, born Devanesan Chokkalingam, was admitted to Surya Hospital in Kodambakkam at around 8:30 am and was declared dead shortly after. His body was kept at his T Nagar residence for members of the film industry and the public to pay their final respects.#WATCH | மறைந்த இசையமைப்பாளர் தேவா உடலுக்கு அஞ்சலி செலுத்திய நடிகர் ரஜினிகாந்த்.#SunNews | #Deva | #Rajinikanth https://t.co/McTbHmNOwK— Sun News (@sunnewstamil) October 17, 2026Music director Ilaiyaraaja cancelled all music work scheduled at his studio on Saturday following Deva’s passing.Also Read: Music composer Deva, who created Rajinikanth’s intro music, dies at 75Kamal Haasan, Vijay pay tributeKamal Haasan was among the first major stars to respond. He called Deva his “dear brother” and described him as someone full of enthusiasm, 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,” Kamal Haasan wrote on X. “My heartfelt tribute to him. My deepest condolences and words of comfort to his family.”Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay, who worked with Deva on several films during the early years of his career, also paid tribute to the composer.“Deva was the unique music composer of Tamil cinema who captivated the hearts of the common people with his folk songs. His musical journey and songs will forever endure in the history of film music. His demise is an irreplaceable loss to Tamil cinema,” Vijay wrote.Story continues below this adVijay recalled Deva’s contribution to Tamil cinema and his work across several languages.தமிழ்த் திரையுலகின் தனித்துவமான இசையமைப்பாளரும், கானா பாடல்களால் எளிய மக்களின் மனங்களைக் கவர்ந்தவருமான ‘தேனிசைத் தென்றல்’ திரு.தேவா அவர்கள் மறைந்த செய்தியறிந்து மிகுந்த அதிர்ச்சியும், ஆழ்ந்த வேதனையும் அடைந்தேன்.தமிழ், தெலுங்கு, மலையாளம், கன்னடம் ஆகிய மொழிகளில் 400-க்கும் மேற்பட்ட திரைப்படங்களுக்கு இசையமைத்ததோடு, பல கானா பாடல்களை எழுதி, அவரே பாடியும் உள்ளார். கலைமாமணி உள்ளிட்ட பல்வேறு விருதுகளைப் பெற்ற திரு.தேவா அவர்களின் இசைப் பயணமும், பாடல்களும் திரையிசை வரலாற்றில் என்றும் நிலைத்திருக்கும். அவரது மறைவு தமிழ்த் திரையுலகிற்கு பேரிழப்பாகும்.இசையமைப்பாளர் திரு.தேவா அவர்களை இழந்துவாடும் குடும்பத்தினருக்கும், உறவினர்களுக்கும், நண்பர்களுக்கும், திரைத்துறையினருக்கும், இசை ரசிகர்களுக்கும் எனது ஆழ்ந்த இரங்கலையும், அனுதாபங்களையும் தெரிவித்துக் கொள்கிறேன்.— CMOTamilNadu (@CMOTamilnadu) October 17, 2026Khushbu Sundar, RJ Balaji remembers the music composerActress Khushbu Sundar posted a brief, emotional tribute on X. “Absolutely devastated. It’s heartbreaking. Gone too soon. You will be missed Deva Sir. Rest in peace,” she wrote.Director and actor RJ Balaji, who worked with Deva on Mookuthi Amman (2020), described the composer as “a true legend of Tamil cinema whose music has touched generations.”“Having had the blessing of working with him in Mookuthi Amman will always remain a cherished memory,” Balaji wrote. “His legacy will live on through his timeless music.”By Saturday afternoon, Deva’s T Nagar residence had become a gathering point for members of the Tamil film industry and the public paying their last respects. The composer’s body was kept at the residence ahead of the final rites.Story continues below this adAbout DevaKnown for his contributions to Tamil cinema, particularly his gaana compositions and memorable soundtracks, Deva worked across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films. His music for films such as Annamalai, Baashha and Arunachalam remains closely associated with some of Rajinikanth’s most iconic on-screen moments, while his songs continue to be celebrated by fans of Tamil film music.