Deva: key obituary facts
Is Deva dead? Yes. Deva died on October 17, 2026, at age 75.
Cause of death: Deva's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Deva known for?
He was an Indian film composer and singer.
More about Deva
Born: 20 November 1950.
Gender: male.
Occupation: actor, composer.
Nationality: India.
Children: Srikanth Deva.
Career began: 1988.
Also known as: Devanesan Chokkalingam.
Devanesan Chokkalingam, the Indian film composer and singer known as Deva, died October 17, 2026, aged 75.
A prominent contributor to Tamil cinema, he also composed songs and background scores for Kannada, Telugu and Malayalam films. Across a career that began in 1988 and spanned nearly four decades, he wrote music for more than 400 films.
His film credits included Manasukketha Maharasa, Vaigasi Poranthachu and Annaamalai. Born in Mylapore, Chennai, Deva developed his musical skills without formal training in his early years. He taught himself to play the harmonium while working in Tamil theatre, initially taking on non-musical work alongside stage musicians including Kamesh and Rajamani. After an early involvement in film projects, he stepped away from cinema for a period and worked at Doordarshan Podhigai, composing songs for the programme Vayalum Vaazhvum. He later studied piano with Dhanraj Master and Indian classical music on the harmonium with J. B. Krishna. During the 1980s, he composed devotional albums before establishing a sustained film career. His work across several South Indian film industries reflected a career built on both song composition and background scoring.