Over a career spanning nearly five decades, Ilaiyaraaja has composed music for over 1,500 films and written more than 8,000 songs. By any reasonable measure, that catalogue is one of the most commercially exploited bodies of work in Indian cinema. It has played in theatres, on radio, on television, at live concerts across the world, and more recently across every streaming platform imaginable. For much of that time, the money it generated flowed primarily to producers, music labels, and event organisers. The composer himself saw very little of it. What makes Ilaiyaraaja different from every other musician this happened to is simple: he refuses to accept it Born Gnanathesigan on June 3, 1943, in Tamil Nadu, Ilaiyaraaja debuted as a film composer with Annakili in 1976. What followed was one of the most prolific runs in the history of Indian film music. He won five National Film Awards, three for Best Music Direction and two for Best Background Score, and received both the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan. His admirers call him “Isaignani,” meaning …