Who Was SP Venkatesh? Malayalam Music Director Passes Away At 70

Renowned music director S.P. Venkitesh (70) passed away in Chennai. The cause of death was a heart attack. He became famous in Malayalam cinema with the film 'Rajavinte Makan' and delivered numerous hits through movies like 'Kilukkam' and Sphadikam.

Chennai: Music director S.P. Venkitesh (70) has passed away. He died of a heart attack at his residence in Chennai.

Born on March 5, 1955, in Tamil Nadu, Venkitesh made his debut as an independent music director in 1981 with the Telugu film 'Premayudha'. He later made his debut as a music director in Malayalam with the Mohanlal starrer 'Rajavinte Makan', directed by Thampi Kannanthanam.

He is the creator of many hit songs in Malayalam. S.P. Venkitesh gifted music lovers a handful of songs that will be remembered forever from films like Indrajalam, Paithrukam, Thudarkkadha, Vatsalyam, Johnny Walker, Kilukkam, Hitler, Sopanam, Kabooliwala, Minnaram, and Sphadikam. The background scores he composed for films like Appu, Mahayanam, and Devasuram are famous. S.P. Venkitesh was able to create many hit songs in Malayalam cinema between 1985 and 2000. Besides Malayalam, he also composed music for Tamil and Telugu films.

S.P. Venkitesh, who has composed music for 150 Malayalam films so far, has scored about 500 songs in his career in Tamil, Kannada, Bengali, and Hindi languages. He worked most frequently as a music director in Thampi Kannanthanam's films. Gireesh Puthenchery wrote the lyrics for S.P. Venkitesh the most number of times. K.S. Chithra sang the most songs for S.P. Venkitesh.

Malayalam's Evergreen Songs

S.P. Venkitesh bids farewell, leaving behind evergreen hits that music lovers will always remember, such as Kunjikkiliye Koodevide, Kilukil Pambaram, Meenavenalil, Ootyppattanam, Shanthamee Rathriyil, Muthumanithooval Tharam, Kanakanilave Thuyilunaru, Pathirakkili Varu, Karukavayal Kuruvi, Maliniyude Theerangal, Neelanjana Poovin, Alayum Kaattin Hridayam, Thamarappoovil Urangenam, Puthan Puthukkalam, Kabooliwala Naadodi, Paalnilavinum, Nilave Mayumo, Oru Vallam Ponnum Poovum, Chinkarakinnaram, Aattirambilalmarathil, Ezhimala Poonchola, Parumalacheruvile, and Neeyurangiyo Nilave.

Venkitesh's father, Pazhani, was a mandolin player. Following in his father's footsteps, Venkitesh started playing the mandolin at the age of three and later learned the guitar and other musical instruments. In the early days of his career, he worked as a music assistant to Raveendran and A.T. Ummer.