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C. Ilaiyaraja Member of Rajya Sabha

Ilaiyaraaja was born as Gnananathesigan on 3 June 1943 in a Dalit family in Pannaipuram, Theni district of present-day Tamil Nadu, India. At the time of joining school, his father changed his name from Gnanathesigan to “Rajayya”, and people in his village called him “Rasayya”.

Ilayaraja is an Indian musician, composer, arranger, composer, orchestrator, multi-instrumentalist, writer and playback singer who is popular for his songs in Indian cinema, primarily in Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam and Kannada films.

Considered one of the most prolific composers, in a history spanning over forty-eight years, he has composed over 7,000 compositions and provided film scores for over 1,000 films, in addition to performing in over 20,000 concerts. He has been nicknamed “Isagnani” (musical sage) and is often referred to as “Maestro”, a degree awarded to him by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London.

Ilaiyaraaja received many awards for his achievements during his career. In 2012, he received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the highest Indian recognition given to performing arts, for his insistence and experimentation in the field of music.

In 2010 he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s third highest civilian honor, and in 2018 he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian honor, by the Government of India. He is a nominated Member of Parliament from the Indian Upper House in July 2022. A film based on the life of “Ilaiyaraaja” was announced on 20 March 2024.