Yuvan Shankar Raja

Yuvan Shankar Raja is an Indian Tamil film score and soundtrack composer, singer and occasional lyricist. He has predominantly scored music for Tamil as well as Telugu films. In 1997, at age 16, his musical career began as he composed the film score for Aravindhan. He subsequently composed film scores for a variety of South Indian films, which include commercial blockbusters such as Dheena, Manmadhan, Paruthiveeran, Billa and Paiyaa as well as acclaimed films such as Kaadhal Kondein, 7G Rainbow Colony, Pudhupettai, Chennai 600028 and Kattradhu Thamizh.

Within a span of 13 years, Yuvan Shankar Raja has scored for over 75 films. Considered a highly versatile composer, he often strives for different, innovative and stylistic music and has explored and used elements of various genres in his compositions that range from folk to heavy metal. He is particularly known for his use of western music elements in his pieces and often credited with having introduced Hip hop to the Tamil film and music industry and having started the "era of remixes" in Tamil Nadu. Being immensely popular among the younger generation, he is frequently called the "Youth Icon of Tamil Film Music". In addition, Yuvan Shankar Raja is recognized for his background score in films that have fetched him high praise among critics.

He has won one Filmfare Award in 2004 for his score in the drama 7G Rainbow Colony at age 25, remaining the youngest winner of the award. Besides, he received two nominations for Filmfare Awards, one Tamil Nadu State Film Award in 2006 and the Cyprus International Film Festival Award in 2006 for Raam, becoming the first and only Indian composer to win it.

Born on 31 August 1979, in Chennai, India into a musically affluent Tamil family, Yuvan Shankar Raja is the third and youngest child of musician and film composer Ilaiyaraaja and Jeeva. He is the younger brother of music director Karthik Raja and playback singer-cum-music director Bhavatharini. Yuvan once confessed, that his brother Karthik Raja is more talented than him, but did not get a successful break into the music business, since he didnt get a "good team to work with". His father as well as his siblings have sung many songs under his direction.

Noted film director and film composer Gangai Amaran and late R. D. Bhaskar are his uncles and their sons Venkat Prabhu, Premji Amaran and Parthi Bhaskar, who are working in the Tamil film industry as well, are his cousins. Moreover, Yuvan Shankar and both the sons of Gangai Amaran, do often associate with each other and have often worked together, the results of which have been very successful. Venkat Prabhus films have had all musical score by Yuvan, while Premji had assisted him composing music for some years,before becoming an independent composer aside form the fact, that both have sung several songs under the direction of Yuvan Shankar Raja.

Yuvan Shankar did his schooling at St. Bedes school in Chennai before studying at Loyola College, Chennai. He started learning music from Jacob Master,attending piano classes at "Musee Musical" in Chennai, which is affiliated to Trinity College in London, UK.

Yuvan Shankar Raja stated, that he always wanted to become a pilot and travel "all around the world", but as he grew up "with music around him", he eventually became a musician. But he still considers himself flying high with his music. He admires the work of his father and other composers such as S. D. Burman, R.D. Burman, M. S. Viswanathan and Naushad and the voices of singers Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, P. B. Sreenivas and P. Susheela.

Yuvan Shankar Raja married his longtime girlfriend Sujaya Chandran on 21 March 2005, at Mayor Sri Ramanathan Chettiyar Hall in Chennai, India. He met Chandran, who was a "fan" , in 2002 at a music cultural program in London and both fell in love later. Chandran was a London-based singer and the daughter of Dr. C. R. Velayutham and Dr. Sarojini Chandran. They had a secret registered marriage in September 2003 in London, before the formal public wedding was held in 2005 with the consent of their parents.

In August 2007, they filed for divorce with mutual consent, which was granted in February 2008, after 6 months. The reason for the divorce was said to be "irreconcilable differences".