Chennai, 19 January (H.S.) : Legendary music composer Ilaiyaraaja will be conferred with the prestigious Padmapani Award at the upcoming Ajanta Ellora International Film Festival (AIFF) 2026, the event organisers announced on Sunday.
The annual festival is scheduled to take place from January 28 to February 4 in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The maestro is set to receive this distinguished honour during the grand opening ceremony on January 28, an event that will be attended by a host of national and international artists, eminent personalities from various fields, and cinema enthusiasts.
The selection committee, chaired by film critic Latika Padgaonkar and featuring acclaimed filmmakers Ashutosh Gowariker, Sunil Sukthankar, and Chandrakant Kulkarni, chose Ilaiyaraaja for his monumental contributions to the world of music.
The award includes the Padmapani Memento, a formal letter of honour, and a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh. With a career spanning over five decades, Ilaiyaraaja has composed more than 7,000 songs and original scores for over 1,500 films in multiple Indian languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, and Marathi.
According to the organisers, the eight day festival will showcase nearly 70 films. Previous recipients of this esteemed award include cinematic stalwarts such as lyricist Javed Akhtar, veteran director Sai Paranjpye, and the late actor Om Puri. This recognition further cements the enduring legacy of the music maestro in the Indian film industry.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Dr. R. B. Chaudhary
