Composer Ilaiyaraaja has received a special ceremonial honour at the Parliament of Australia to mark his 50-year journey in the Indian film industry.
The veteran musician shared the news through a video on social media, expressing his gratitude to Australian government representatives and members of Parliament for commemorating his career with a ceremonial stamp.
Reflecting on the recognition, Ilaiyaraaja spoke about his journey from a small village in Tamil Nadu to being honoured at an Australian Parliament. He also acknowledged the musicians and artists who worked alongside him and the generations of listeners who have embraced his compositions.
The Australian recognition comes during a global concert tour marking five decades of Ilaiyaraaja’s contribution to cinema music. As part of the ongoing tour, he is scheduled to perform in Sydney on September 26 and Brisbane on October 5.
The composer was also honoured by the Tamil Nadu government last year at Chennai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium as part of celebrations marking his 50 years in cinema.
Ilaiyaraaja continues to remain connected with new Tamil film projects as well. His music features in Karthik Subbaraj’s upcoming film ‘Dorothy’, which stars Keerthy Suresh, Rishikanth and Sananth. The film is scheduled for release shortly after the Australian Parliament honour.
His name has also recently featured in discussions surrounding India’s Oscar submission. The Marathi thriller ‘Gondhal’ was selected as India’s official entry for the International Feature Film category, with Ilaiyaraaja’s music forming part of the film’s creative package.