Deva, composer whose music announced Rajinikanth's stardom, dies at 75 in Chennai

CHENNAI: Deva, the music director whose "Superstar" title-card music has announced every Rajinikanth film since 1992, including the latest, Jailer 2, died in Chennai on Saturday. He was 75.He complained of chest pain on Saturday morning and was taken to Surya Hospital. He died despite efforts to resuscitate him, doctors said.The godfather of Gaana, Deva was a music director, lyricist and singer who took the street music of Chennai into mainstream cinema. He wrote and sang many of his own gaana numbers and was a rage through the 1990s. The songs he made popular are now sung even at international film events.At a time when Ilaiyaraaja dominated Tamil cinema and AR Rahman was ushering in a musical revolution, Deva carved out his own identity by speaking the language of the common man.