Ilaiyaraaja: The Indian maestro still reshaping music 50 years on

Fifty years after his debut, Ilaiyaraaja remains one of the most celebrated composers in Indian cinema.

Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsFootball 2026BusinessTechnologyHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthSportAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesHomeNewsUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifyFootball 2026BusinessWorld of BusinessTechnology of BusinessNYSE Opening BellTechnologyWatch DocumentariesArtificial IntelligenceIntelligence RevolutionAI v the MindTech NowHealthWatch DocumentariesCultureWatch DocumentariesFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsWatch DocumentariesArts in MotionTravelWatch DocumentariesDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthWatch DocumentariesScienceNatural WondersClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingSportAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoWatch DocumentariesBBC MaestroDiscover the WorldLiveLive NewsLive SportDocumentariesSite searchHomeNewsSportFootball 2026BusinessTechnologyHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesWeatherNewslettersWatch LiveRagas and symphonies: Indian maestro Ilaiyaraaja is still reshaping music 50 years on17 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleAnbarasan EthirajanGlobal affairs correspondentAnanda VikatanIlaiyaraaja has scored music for more than 1,000 films across nine languagesHis ardent fans call him "the Maestro". Five decades after his debut, Ilaiyaraaja's music still echoes through homes, concert halls and cinema screens across India.

The 83-year-old composer from Tamil Nadu has scored more than 1,000 films in nine languages, a record unmatched in Indian cinema.

He transformed the sound of Tamil film music with Annakili in 1976 and has gone on to become one of India's most influential composers.

"Ilaiyaraaja's arrival was a watershed moment. It was an intervention by a person from an entirely different social and aesthetic background who had imbued a distinct aural soundscape," says TM Krishna, a celebrated Carnatic musician.

In India, playback singing is central to popular cinema: singers record songs that actors lip-sync on screen, while the composers usually also create the film's background score.