CHENNAI — Indian music composer Deva, hugely popular for his unique ‘gana’ style, died here today, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.

He was 75 and breathed his last at a private hospital here, sources said.

‘Gana’ songs, Deva’s gift to Tamil-speaking people, may be described as a genre of musical composition that brought the subaltern world into the mainstream, capturing its likes, dislikes, and the rough-and-tumble lives of youth.

In a career spanning nearly four decades, Deva composed music for over 400 films. These included runaway hits such as the Rajinikanth-starrers Annamalai (1992) and Baasha (1995), both directed by Suresh Krissna, alongside Kamal Haasan’s Pammal K Sambandam (2002) and Panchathanthiram, also released the same year.

Known for his stentorian voice, Deva sang a wide variety of songs himself.

Besides his hit songs, several of Deva’s background scores remain hits with moviegoers, including the pulsating Baasha, Baasha from the Rajinikanth-led blockbuster.

His score for veteran comedian Goundamani’s antics in the Tamil film Sooriyan (1992) remains vividly remembered by movie lovers.