Veteran Music Director S.P. Venkatesh Dies At 70 Due To Cardiac Arrest, Condolences Pour In

Legendary music director and composer SP Venkatesh died at the age of 70 after suffering a heart attack at his residence in Chennai on Wednesday morning, as per reports. The details about his funeral have not been disclosed yet. SP Venkatesh worked in Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi films. He was at his prime in the late 80s and 90s, being reputed for his background scores and songs in Indian cinema. The South music industry has been left in shock by the loss, and people across social media are pouring in their condolences.

Who was SP Venkatesh?

S.P. Venkatesh was born on March 5, 1955. He was the son of mandolin player Pazhani. He began his film career as a guitarist in 1971, working with music director Vijay Bhaskar. Over time, he built a strong reputation as a versatile music director across Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam cinema.

In 1975, he worked as an assistant music director in Kannada films. He made his debut as an independent music director in 1981 with the Telugu film 'Premayuddha'.

The versatile South Indian composer often collaborated with veteran actors such as Mohanlal and Mammootty. He played the mandolin and assisted noted musicians, including Raghavan Master, in Malayalam cinema. He also composed background scores as an assistant to A. T. Ummar for Sathyan Anthikad’s film T.P. Balagopalan M.A. Later, he became active as a full-fledged music director in Malayalam films. Filmmakers Dennis Joseph and Thampi Kannanthanam helped him gain wider recognition in the industry. His music and background score for Thampi Kannanthanam’s 'Rajavinte Makan' deeply impressed Malayali audiences.

S.P. Venkatesh reached the peak of his Malayalam career during the 1990s. He worked on several successful films, including Rajavinte Makan, Vilambaram, Vajiyorakkazhkal, Mijayam, Bhumiyile Rajakanmar, Vyuham, Kuttettan, Appu (background music), Mahayanam (background music), Naadodi, Kazhakkkupuram, Johnny Walker, Devasuram (background music), Dhruvam, Valsalyam, Paithrikam, Seyinya, Sopanam, Minnaram, Mannar Mathai Speaking, Manthrikam and Sphadikam, among many others.