Composer of many memorable Indian film songs of the 1980s and 90s, SP Venkatesh passed away on February 3 at his home in Chennai. He was 70. Reports say he died following a cardiac arrest.
While he was best known for his work in Malayalam cinema, Venkatesh also composed music for Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Bengali and Hindi films. Born in Tamil Nadu in March 1955, he began learning the mandolin at the age of three under his father’s guidance. He later trained in guitar and banjo, and went on to assist noted Malayalam composers Raveendran and AT Ummer.
Venkatesh entered the film industry as a guitarist for Kannada composer Vijayabhasker in 1971, when he was just 16.
He went on to create a remarkable body of work in Malayalam cinema, composing songs for films including Kilukkam (1991), Nadodi (1992), Valsalyam (1993), Minnaram (1994), Spadikam (1995), and Chandralekha (1997), among many others.
Some of his most enduring melodies include “Vinnile Gandharva” from Rajavinte Makan, “Kunjikiliye” from Indrajaalam, “Maanikya Kuyile Nee” from Thudarkatha, “Kilukil Pamparam” from Kilukkam, “Muthumani Thooval” from Kauravar, and “Karukavayal Kuruvi” from Kauravar.
Beyond film songs, Venkatesh also composed powerful background scores for notable films such as Desadanakili Karayarilla (1986), No. 20 Madras Mail (1990), Appu (1990), Devasuram (1993) and Lelam (1997).
Filmmaker Priyadarshan has spoken about Venkatesh’s distinctive approach, noting that he often composed his songs on the guitar, an unusual practice at the time.
Renowned singer G Venugopal recalled that Venkatesh belonged to an era before film music was shaped by extensive technological tools. With no keyboard programming or digital aids, composing was far from easy. Yet, Venugopal said, Venkatesh’s talent enabled him to craft melodies and background scores with remarkable efficiency, making him one of Malayalam cinema’s most sought-after music directors. Like the late composer Johnson, Venkatesh was especially valued by filmmakers for his equal mastery over both songs and background music.