Music Director Reghu Kumar Passes Away

Composer, who gave life for the beautiful imagery in Priyadarshan films of 80s, Reghu Kumar, passed away at 2 am at a private hospital in Chennai, on Thursday (20 Feb). The versatile composer was 60-year-old and was receiving treatment for kidney related health issues for the past one week.

The funeral is scheduled at 9 am tomorrow at Vasanth Nagar crematorium. Reghu Kumar was at the peak of his career in the 80's. The songs he composed for Priyadarshan films such as Thalavattam, Aryan and Boeing Boeing are being listened even by today's generation. He was a Tablist in the beginning while he entered the industry and his penchant for music and his expertise at playing Tabla made others to take notice of the composer. He worked as an assistant to musician RK Shekhar who is AR Rahman's father.

Raghu was born into renowned Pootheri family at Kozhikode, in Kerala, on July 1953. Reghu started his training carnatic music at an early age. Musician GS Sreekrishnan trained the young Raghu the basics of Indian classical music. Raghu became independent composer with a film title Visham in 1981. Some of his famous works are Onnum Mindaatha Bhaarya, Aattakkatha, Nadhi Muthal Nadhi Vare, Kanaakkivaav, Boeing Boeing, etc. He was a graded percussionist for All India Radio at the age of 16.

Music director Reghu Kumar is survived by his wife, Bhavani, who is an actor in Malayalam films.