His devoted fans call him "Maestro." Five decades after his debut, Ilaiyaraaja's music continues to resonate in homes, concert halls, and cinema screens across India.
The 83-year-old composer from Tamil Nadu has written music for more than 1,000 films in nine languages, an unrivaled record in Indian cinema.
In 1976, he transformed the sound of Tamil film music with his composition Annakili and became one of India's most influential composers.
«"Ilaiyaraaja's arrival was a turning point. It was the intervention of someone from a completely different social and aesthetic background, who brought a unique soundscape to music," says T.M. Krishna, a renowned Carnatic performer.
In India, singing plays a central role in popular cinema: singers record songs that actors sing along to on-screen, and composers typically also create the film's musical score.
Before Ilaiyaraaja, most film music was based on Indian classical music. Western symphonic influences were rarely incorporated into popular film soundtracks.
But, as Krishna says, Ilaiyaraja drew on a wide range of musical traditions from around the world.
«"The uniqueness of his work lies in the way he creates a coherence between all the different forms borrowed from different musical genres. This is the genius of Ilaiyaraaja," he said.
Following the success of Annakili, Ilaiyaraaja released hits in various languages, including Pathinaaru Vayatinile, Olangal, Sadma, Gitanjali, Chinna Gounder, and Nayakan. He wrote over 8,000 film songs, drawing heavily on the folk and rural ballad traditions of Tamil Nadu.
Last year, he became the first Indian to compose and perform a Western classical symphony in London with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, which called the event "a landmark in world music history.".
Ilaiyaraaja started learning Western music after moving to Chennai in search of work [Photos by Ravi]
Ilaiyaraaja was born R. Gnanathesikan in June 1943 in Pannaipuram, Tamil Nadu. He grew up listening to folk songs and ballads sung by his father, a cardamom plantation manager. He was seven years old when his father died suddenly.
«"After that, the entire burden of household responsibilities fell on the shoulders of my mother, Chinnathayammal. We went through a difficult period," Gangai Amaran, Ilaiyaraaja's younger brother and a renowned music director himself, told the BBC.
Ilaiyaraaja was born into a poor, socially marginalized family, and had few opportunities to achieve success. But music was all around him. His older brother, singer and playwright Paavalar Varadharajan, performed at Communist Party events in the 1950s, when the party wielded considerable influence in the region.
«"We traveled from village to village with our older brother. That's how we became acquainted with folk and rural musical traditions," Amaran said.
When Varadharajan fell ill before a performance, their mother persuaded Ilaiyaraja to take his place. It was his first public performance.
At 14, he was forced to drop out of school and moved to Madras (now Chennai) with his brothers in 1968 in search of a film career. He later recalled walking many kilometers to save on bus fares and often going to bed hungry.
Under the guidance of Dhanraj Master, he studied Western music, mastering the guitar and piano, while delving into the works of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert.
«"It's a gift from God. Learning and mastering musical instruments came naturally to him," Amaran said.
Ilaiyaraaja (centre) with his brothers Gangai Amaran (left) and Bhaskar [Stills Ravi]
In 1969, he started assisting renowned film composer G.K. Venkatesh.
«"G.K. Venkatesh was my teacher, my guru, and he encouraged me to write orchestral scores," Ilaiyaraaja recalled in a later interview.
He became a guitarist and began writing his own musical compositions for films.
During his early years in Madras, his life was lived at a grueling pace: music lessons at dawn, recording sessions during the day, and returning home around midnight.
He worked on over 200 films with Venkatesh and others, honing his craft and building connections in the industry.
His breakthrough came when Panchu Arunachalam, the writer and lyricist of the film Annakili, invited him to showcase his talent to the film crew.
«"There were no instruments in the room. He used a wooden table as a percussion instrument and sang. But the producer was impressed," says Amaran.
Arunachalam also renamed the young musician, now called Raaja, as 'Ilaiyaraaja' (young king).
Annakili's success brought Ilaiyaraaja fame and more film roles.
Ilaiyaraaja soon became the most sought-after composer in South Indian cinema [Ananda Vikatan]
The late 1970s and 1980s changed the way people listened to music in India. Before then, songs could be heard primarily on state-run radio or on vinyl records in stores and public halls.
«"The advent of cassette tapes and affordable music systems allowed people to listen to music whenever they wanted. Ilaiyaraaja arrived on the music scene at the right time, when technology was changing," says music critic Shaji Chen.
He soon became the most sought-after composer in South Indian cinema. Audiences showered him with confetti, applauded, and whistled when his name appeared in the opening credits. Many watched films again and again for his songs, and at the peak of his career, he composed music for over 50 films in a single year.
For many films, the appealing feature was the music, which helped them stay in theaters for more than 100 days.
«"He understands the emotional core and themes of a film. He knows how to convey those emotions. That's why his music stands out," says music critic Suanshu Khurana.
Among his most famous compositions is 'Rakkamma Kaya Thattu' from Thalapathi (1991), a gangster drama inspired by the Mahabharata.
The song combines Tamil folk music, Carnatic traditions, Western classical fugue and polka, with changing tempos and finger snaps linking its contrasting sections.
In a 2002 BBC World Service poll, the song was voted the fourth most popular song in the world.
Ilaiyaraaja could combine Carnatic ragas, Indian folk melodies and the music of Schubert or Mozart in a single piece [Ananda Vikatan]
Ilaiyaraaja, a tireless experimenter, was able to combine Carnatic ragas, Indian folk melodies and the music of Schubert or Mozart in one piece.
At a recent performance of his Valiant Symphony in Chennai, he explained how he wove Schubert's Unfinished Symphony into the song "Idhayam Pogudhey" from the 1979 Tamil film "Puthiya Vaarpukkal".
«"They [the styles] belonged to two different cultures. But I wanted to prove that they are not different, they are one and the same," he said.
Ilaiyaraaja dominated Tamil film music until the emergence of A.R. Rahman in the early 1990s. Before becoming a composer, Rahman played keyboards in Ilaiyaraaja's orchestra for several years.
In 2019, Rahman said at an event that working with Ilaiyaraaja was like going to school.
«"His life itself was an inspiration to me," he said.
Ilaiyaraaja remained a prominent figure in the music industry, creating hits for films such as Nizhalkuthu, Virumaandi, and Cheeni Kum. He also composed albums based on ancient Tamil literature and religious works, including Thiruvasagam. In 2018, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award.
At 83, Ilaiyaraaja still composes music for several films a year. He recently performed his "Symphony of Valor" in Chennai and Bangalore and continues to tour the world with concerts.
A new generation is discovering Ilaiyaraju through streaming platforms and viral remixes. One example is the 1983 Malayalam song "Kiliye Kiliye," which was recently revived in the film "Lokah: Chapter 1 - Chandra.".
In recent years, he has also made headlines for lawsuits over royalties and unauthorized use of his music.
His rise challenged long-standing social barriers in Carnatic music, a field historically dominated by upper-caste musicians and largely closed to performers from marginalized communities.
Ilaiyaraaja's mastery of this art form helped to break down these hierarchies.
«With his music, he transcended social and caste hierarchies,» says Krishna.
Follow BBC News India on Instagram , YouTube, X и Facebook .