Ilaiyaraaja

Ilaiyaraaja is an Indian film composer, singer and lyricist from Tamil Nadu, India. Born in 1943 as Gnanadesikan, he is based in Chennai and works across Indian film music, with the verified genres identifying him as a film composer, music director and soundtrack artist.

He composes more than 4,000 songs and provides background music for over 800 Indian films in a career spanning three decades. He is especially prominent in South Indian cinema during the late 1970s, the 1980s and the early 1990s, when his music becomes a major reference point for film scoring in the region.

His style combines Tamil folk lyricism with broader Western musical elements, bringing those influences into the South Indian musical mainstream. He wins the Indian National Film Award for Best Film Scoring three times.

Family

He is married to Jeeva. Their two sons, Karthik Raja and Yuvan Shankar Raja, and their daughter, Bhavatharini, are all film composers and singers.