SP Venkatesh Passes Away as Veteran Music Director

Exam-focused facts from the 4 February 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Veteran music director SP Venkatesh passed away at the age of 70 at his residence in Chennai following a cardiac arrest.
He began his film career in 1971 as a guitarist and later served as an assistant music director in Kannada cinema in 1975.
He made his debut as an independent artist in 1981 with the Telugu film Prema Yuddham.
He won the Kerala State Film Award for best music director in 1993 for the films Paithrukam and Janam.
His notable works in Malayalam cinema include Rajavinte Makan, Kilukkam, Minnaram, Johnnie Walker, Dhruvam, Valsalyam, Sphadikam, Mannar Mathai Speaking, and Manthrikam.
He was also known for his background scores in films such as Devasuram, Mahayanam, No. 20 Madras Mail, Appu, Sopanam, and Highway.