Malayalam music director S P Venkatesh (70) dies
Entertainment
S P Venkatesh, the celebrated Malayalam music director, passed away on 3 February 2026 at his home in Chennai. He was 70.
His funeral is set for Wednesday in Alapakkam, Chennai.
His journey from Tamil Nadu to Kerala's film industry
Born in Tamil Nadu on 5 March 1955, Venkatesh, whose father Pazhani was a mandolin player, started playing mandolin at age three and later learned guitar and other instruments.
He began his film journey in the early 1970s and made a mark with his music for Rajavinte Makan (1986), which opened doors to hits like Kilukkam and Devasuram.
Not just a Malayalam legend, he composed for Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and more—earning awards and recognition for blending guitars and violins into unforgettable soundtracks of the '80s and '90s.