This is Part 17 of Legends of Indian Cinema, our 20-part series on the actors, filmmakers and musicians who shaped Indian films across languages. New here? Start with Part 1: Dadasaheb Phalke, or read the previous part, Part 16: Mohanlal.
For many Tamil families, a long bus journey, a wedding or a quiet evening is incomplete without an Ilaiyaraaja song. Known as "Isaignani" (Musical Genius) and simply "the Maestro", he has composed music for more than 1,000 films in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi.
Early life
- Born Gnanathesikan on 2 June 1943 in Pannaipuram, in today's Theni district of Tamil Nadu.
- As a boy, he travelled with his elder brother Pavalar Varadarajan's troupe, singing folk songs at political and village gatherings.
- In Madras, he studied Western classical guitar and piano with teacher Dhanraj Master and earned a classical guitar qualification from Trinity College of Music, London, by correspondence.
- He worked as a session musician and assistant before his big break.
The debut that changed everything
His first film as composer, Annakili (1976), was filled with the sounds of the Tamil countryside. It was a sensation. Until then, Tamil film music had been dominated by Hindustani and light classical styles. Ilaiyaraaja brought folk rhythms, Carnatic ragas and Western orchestration together in a way no one had done before.
Signature style
- He writes complete scores himself, often composing an entire film's background music in a few days.
- His interludes, the music between verses, are famous for their rich layers of strings, flute and choir.
- He worked closely with directors such as Bharathiraja, Balu Mahendra, Mani Ratnam and K. Balachander, and with singers S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki and K.J. Yesudas.
- Classic albums include Mouna Ragam, Nayakan, Thalapathi, Sagara Sangamam and Punnagai Mannan.
- His non-film works include How to Name It? (1986) and Nothing But Wind (1988), which fuse Indian and Western classical music.
The symphony
- On 8 March 2025, he premiered his first full Western classical symphony, Valiant, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London.
- He was widely hailed as the first Indian to compose and present a full symphony of this kind with a major Western orchestra. He received a hero's welcome when he returned to Chennai.
Honours
- Five National Film Awards, including for Sagara Sangamam and Sindhu Bhairavi.
- Padma Bhushan (2010) and Padma Vibhushan (2018).
- Nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2022.
Legacy
Ilaiyaraaja's songs are among the most streamed and sampled in South India. Composers including his sons Karthik Raja and Yuvan Shankar Raja, and A.R. Rahman, who played keyboards for him early in his career, grew up in the world of music he created.
Next in the series: Part 18: A.R. Rahman.
