Deva’s route to becoming one of Tamil cinema’s most prolific 1990s composers ran through theatre offices, a Doordarshan job and devotional albums—not a childhood surrounded by music. He says Annamalai became a defining break, while his guiding aim was to make a film tune register quickly and stay singable. His story also connects star-driven songs to Chennai’s local sounds, including Gaana.
How Deva found a way into music
Deva, born Devanesan Chockalingam, has described an upbringing with little money and limited access to music. In a Tamil interview translated into English by Scroll.in, he recalled that his father was a postman supporting a large family and that they were “always on the brink of poverty.” He said there was no radio at home until he was 18; as a child, he heard music from shops and public speakers.
His entry into the profession was practical and gradual. Deva said he first worked in the office of theatre musicians Kamesh and Rajamani, arranging taxis. When the musicians were away, he began playing harmonium. In 1973, he recalled, he and Chandrabose formed the Boses Deva troupe.
An intended film opportunity around 1977 did not materialise for him, according to his account, and the troupe eventually broke up. He then took a floor-assistant job at Doordarshan. Deva recalled being suspended for 15 days after playing a piano at work. He later studied piano with Dhanraj and Indian classical music on harmonium with JB Krishna.
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Devotional albums before film composition
During the 1980s, Deva made devotional albums. In the translated interview, he recalled making “almost 450 albums”—his own estimate, not a separately verified count. He said veteran composer M. S. Viswanathan publicly argued that Deva deserved a chance to compose for films.
Deva identifies Manasukketha Maharasa (1989) as his first film and Vaigasi Poranthachu (1990) as the project that opened up more opportunities. These early credits set the stage for a decade in which, as Scroll’s 2018 profile frames it, Deva and A. R. Rahman were both prominent in Tamil film music.
What made the 1990s a breakthrough
Deva’s 1990s work ranged across star vehicles, romances and dance-oriented films. The Scroll profile names Annamalai, Baasha, Arunachalam, Aasai, Kadhal Kottai, Nerukku Ner, Vaali, Priyamudan, Ninaithen Vanthai and Kushi among the decade’s titles associated with him.
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Scroll reported that Deva composed tunes for 36 movies in 1996. That is the publication’s figure in its 2018 profile, rather than a count independently verified against a complete filmography. The profile also credits his scores with helping the emergence of Ajith and Vijay; that is the article’s assessment of their career context, not a measurable claim that music alone caused their rise.
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Writing for a star and writing for a younger hero
The musical brief could change with the film and performer. Deva said Rajinikanth asked for a local Madras feel for the introduction song in Baasha (1995), prompting “Autokaran Autokaran.” The song’s street-level setting and direct, rallying energy suited an entrance built to make an immediate impression.
For younger-hero films, Deva said there was room to experiment more with tempo and choreography. That contrast is about audience function and brief, not a rigid division between two styles: the source does not establish that every Rajinikanth song or every younger-star song followed one formula. The 1990s also had Rahman’s parallel prominence; the Scroll profile presents the two composers as sharing the decade’s attention, not as interchangeable or as a contest with an objective winner.
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How Deva shaped a memorable film tune
Deva stated his central songwriting principle plainly: “To me, the fundamental feature of a film song is that it should immediately register in people’s minds.” Scroll published this English wording from an interview conducted in Tamil and translated into English. Deva said he concentrated on the pallavi—the opening refrain—because listeners tend to remember it, and aimed for tunes that were easy to sing.
That emphasis on instant recall did not mean he worked only with a narrow commercial formula. The profile notes that he also made hundreds of Carnatic-based songs. His approach was to think about what a listener would carry away while adapting the tune and arrangement to the needs of a particular film.
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Deva described scoring Annamalai as a defining moment. He recalled that the opportunity to compose for Rajinikanth made him think of the struggles of the previous 42 years. The profile characterises the film’s songs as melodious and peppy, with a background score tailored to the star.
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He also recalled composing “Rekka Katti Parakuthaiya” quickly to meet a production deadline, then recording it with a large orchestra. The anecdote shows both sides of the work: a tune had to come together fast, but the finished film sound could still draw on a substantial ensemble.
Borrowing a starting point, then making it his own
For Nerukku Ner (1997), Deva said producer Mani Ratnam suggested the Tyagaraja composition “Manavyalakinchara” as a starting point. Deva recalled adopting only the pallavi and writing the charanam himself. It is a specific example of how a familiar classical source could inform a film song without making the whole composition a straight reproduction.
Other named songs show the range of the work across the decade: the profile identifies “Enakena Piranthava” from Kizhakku Karai (1991) and uses “Katthu Adikkuthu” from Ninaivirukkum Varai (1999) as an example associated with Gaana.
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Gaana, Chennai identity and a live cultural debate
Deva said he grew up hearing distinctive sounds in Mylapore and wanted to bring them into film music to give songs a Chennai character. He said he helped popularise the term “Gaana” and believed that using these sounds in films carried them to audiences and venues that had previously looked down on them.
The Scroll interviewer also raised a criticism: that commercialising Gaana might detach it from the North Chennai communities, slums and fishing hamlets with which the form is associated. Deva responded, “Rather than saying I commercialised these sounds, I would say that I made these sounds mainstream.” That exchange captures a disagreement about visibility and ownership; Deva’s explanation is his position, not a resolution of the critique.
A career built on collaboration
Deva summed up his view of working with others in the same interview: “You cannot work in isolation. Otherwise, you will become stale.” His path—from musicians’ office work and study to devotional records, then film deadlines and star-led briefs—helps explain why the 1990s hits should be heard as more than catchy refrains. They reflect a composer balancing recall, local colour, collaboration and the demands of very different films.
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