Veteran music director S. P. Venkatesh passed away at the age of 70 at his residence in Chennai. His funeral will be held tomorrow in Alapakkam, Chennai.
Venkatesh began his film career in 1971 as a guitarist, working alongside noted music director Vijayabhaskar, before establishing himself as an assistant music director in Kannada cinema in 1975. He made his debut as an independent music director in 1981 with the Telugu film Prema Yuddham.
In Malayalam cinema, Venkatesh worked as an assistant music director with composers including Raghavan Master and contributed to background scores under A. T. Ummar, notably for Sathyan Anthikad’s T. P. Balagopalan M.A.. He later emerged as a full-fledged music director, gaining wider recognition with the support of filmmakers Dennis Joseph and Thampi Kannanthanam.
His work in Thampi Kannanthanam’s Rajavinte Makan, particularly its songs and background score, left a lasting impact on Malayalam audiences and marked a turning point in his career. Through the 1990s, Venkatesh became one of the most prominent composers in Malayalam cinema, known for seamlessly blending musical richness with literary depth while retaining popular appeal.
He was associated with numerous successful films, including Rajavinte Makan, Vilambaram, Vazhiyorakazhchakal, Douthyam, Bhoomiyile Rajakumaaran, Vyooham, Kuttettan, Appu (background score), Mahayanam (background score), Naadodi, Kaazhchakkappuram, Ennodishtam Koodamo, Kilukkam, Johnnie Walker, Devasuram (background score), Dhruvam, Valsalyam, Paithrukam, Sainyam, Sopanam, Minnaram, Mannar Mathai Speaking, Manthrikam and Sphadikam, among many others.
Renowned for his mastery of instruments such as the mandolin and for his evocative background scores, S. P. Venkatesh remains remembered as a defining musical voice of Malayalam cinema’s golden era.