Ilayaraja is a legendary Indian film composer born in 1943 in Tamil Nadu. Over his decades-long career, he has composed over 4,000 songs for over 800 films in various South Indian languages. He introduced Western musical elements to South Indian film music and is credited with revolutionizing the genre. Some of his most famous compositions were for films from the 1980s and 1990s like Sagara Sangamam, Nayakan, and Thalapathi. He has won several prestigious awards including multiple National Film Awards for Best Music Direction.