Veteran music director S. P. Venkatesh dies at 70

Veteran music director S. P. Venkatesh passed away at the age of 70 at his residence in Chennai, according to reports. His funeral is scheduled to be held on Wednesday in Alapakkam, Chennai. Widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of Malayalam cinema’s golden era, Venkatesh’s death marks the end of a significant chapter in South Indian film music.

Venkatesh began his career in the early 1970s as a guitarist, initially working with composer Vijayabhaskar. He later moved into Kannada cinema as an assistant music director in 1975 before making his debut as an independent composer with the Telugu film Prema Yuddham in 1981. His early years also saw him contribute extensively as an assistant and background score composer in Malayalam cinema, working under musicians such as Raghavan Master and A. T. Ummar.

His breakthrough in Malayalam films came with Thampi Kannanthanam’s Rajavinte Makan, a project that firmly established him as a leading composer. The film’s songs and background score proved hugely popular and led to long-running collaborations with filmmakers including Dennis Joseph, Thampi Kannanthanam and Joshiy. Through the late 1980s and 1990s, Venkatesh became one of the most sought-after music directors in the industry.

Over the course of his career, he composed music for a wide range of successful films, including Kilukkam, Minnaram, Johnnie Walker, Dhruvam, Valsalyam, Paithrukam, Sphadikam, Mannar Mathai Speaking and Manthrikam. He was also particularly celebrated for his background scores in films such as Devasuram, Mahayanam, No. 20 Madras Mail and Appu, often composing scores even when songs were handled by other musicians.

Known for his command over instruments like the mandolin and guitar, Venkatesh’s music frequently incorporated symphonic string arrangements. He won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Music Director in 1993 for his work in Paithrukam and Janam, along with a Filmfare Award for Paithrukam.

Beyond Malayalam cinema, Venkatesh also worked in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi and Bengali films, contributing both songs and orchestration.