Ragas and symphonies: Indian maestro Ilaiyaraaja is still reshaping music 50 years on

Article excerpt

Ilaiyaraaja, one of Indian cinema's most prolific and celebrated composers, continues to reshape music across genres five decades after his debut. The maestro has composed thousands of songs blending classical ragas with Western symphonic forms, earning him recognition far beyond Tamil cinema into Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi productions. His influence spans generations of musicians and filmmakers who cite his innovative approach to orchestration and fusion as foundational to their own work. At an age when many artists have retired, Ilaiyaraaja remains creatively active, still commanding major film projects and pushing the boundaries of what film music can achieve.