Tamil actor Karthik Sabesh, the son of music director Sabesh and nephew of the late composer Deva, passed away at the age of 37 on Monday night, October 19. He died at a private medical facility in Chennai at approximately 11:15 pm following a period of illness that required ongoing medical care.
His passing occurs only days after the death of his uncle, veteran music director Deva, on Saturday, plunging the family and the Tamil cinematic community into profound grief over two consecutive losses within a very short timeframe.
The funeral services for Karthik are set for Tuesday, October 20, at 4:30 pm at the Valasaravakkam burial ground in Chennai. Prior to the service, his remains were placed at his residence in Chennai to allow members of the public to offer their final tributes. He is survived by his wife, Ramya Karthik, and their two daughters.
During his career in the Tamil film industry, Karthik Sabesh appeared in a number of motion pictures, featuring in titles such as Dum, Vallavan, Pattathu Yaanai, and Kulir 100.
His uncle, veteran composer Deva, passed away on Saturday, October 17, drawing widespread mourning from the Tamil film industry. Widely recognized by the moniker 'Thenisai Thendral', Deva scored music for upwards of 400 films spanning Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada cinema.
Deva earned widespread acclaim for his work on major box-office hits, including Rajinikanth-starrers Annamalai, Arunachalam, and Baasha. He is also recognized for helping bring the Gaana musical style into the mainstream of Tamil cinema through his own compositions and vocal performances.
Following the composer's death, multiple prominent figures, including actors Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan alongside Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, offered public tributes to honor his legacy.