SP Venkatesh, creator of timeless Malayalam film scores and hits like ‘Devasuram’, passes away at 70

Legendary music director SP Venkatesh passed away at his home at the age of 70, according to Onmanorama. Fans and the film fraternity are mourning the loss of a maestro whose tunes defined Malayalam cinema for decades. His final journey will be held tomorrow at Alapakkam, Chennai.

Also Read: Abhijit Majumdar, Odia music composer, dies at 54 after prolonged illness at AIIMS Bhubaneswar

SP Venkatesh: From strings to spotlight

Venkatesh’s musical journey began humbly in 1971. A gifted guitarist, he started his career working with renowned music director Vijayabhaskar.

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By 1975, he was stepping into world of Kannada cinema as an assistant music director learning the ropes and sharpening his skills. His first independent venture came in 1981 with the Telugu film ‘Prema Yuddham’. This marked the start of career that would span over four decades.

Malayalam cinema finds its musical voice

Though he cut his teeth as an assistant under composers like Raghavan Master and contributed to background scores for AT Ummar, it was the 1986 film ‘TP Balagopalan MA’ where Venkatesh’s talent began catching attention.

With guidance from filmmakers Dennis Joseph and Thampi Kannanthanam, he soon rose to become a leading music director in Malayalam cinema.

The game-changer came with Thampi Kannanthanam’s ‘Rajavinte Makan’. Its songs and background score became chartbusters. From that point, Venkatesh became the go-to composer for the 1990s Malayalam film scene.

A hit factory of the 90s

The 1990s were golden years for Venkatesh. His compositions for films like ‘Vilambaram’, ‘Vazhiyorakazhchakal’, ‘Douthyam’, ‘Bhoomiyile Rajakumaaran’, ‘Vyooham’, ‘Kuttettan’, ‘Minnaram’, ‘Kilukkam’, ‘Johnnie Walker’, ‘Devasuram’ (background score), ‘Dhruvam’, ‘Valsalyam’, ‘Paithrukam’, ‘Sainyam’ became unforgettable.

Known for his mastery over instruments like the mandolin, guitar, banjo, Venkatesh’s background scores often elevated the films themselves. He also orchestrated music for other composers and scoring for few Bollywood and Bengali films.

Family, early training, and musical roots

Music ran in Venkatesh’s veins. His father Pazhani was an accomplished mandolin player, and young Venkatesh followed in his footsteps picking up multiple instruments and working as an assistant to Shyam and Raveendran.

Dennis Joseph formally introduced him to Malayalam cinema and his collaboration with Thampi Kannanthanam turned into a long series of hits that still resonate today.

Awards, records, legendary feats

Venkatesh’s work did not go unrecognised. He won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Music Director in 1993 for ‘Paithrukam’ and ‘Janam’ along with the Filmfare Award for ‘Paithrukam’. In 1999, he reportedly recorded nine songs in a single day for the unreleased Tamil film ‘Ithu Mudivithillai’.

SP Venkatesh leaves behind a treasure trove of melodies and background scores that shaped the soundscape of Malayalam cinema.