Legendary Composer Ilaiyaraaja to Receive Padmapani Lifetime Achievement Award at Ajanta-Ellora International Film Festival 2026

Legendary composer  Ilaiyaraaja will be honored with the Padmapani Lifetime Achievement Award at the  11th Ajanta-Ellora International Film Festival (AIFF) 2026 scheduled to be held  from January 28 to February 1, 2026 at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra.  The announcement was made by the AIFF Organizing Committee Chairman, Mr. Nandkishor Kagliwal, Chief Mentor, Mr. Ankushrao Kadam and Honorary Chairman of AIFF, Ashutosh Gowariker. Shri Ilaiyaraaja’s name was selected by the Padmapani Award Selection Committee consisting of famous film critic Mrs. Latika Padgaonkar (Chairperson), Director Ashutosh Gowariker, Sunil Sukthankar and Chandrakant Kulkarni. The award comprises a Padmapani Memento, a letter of honour and a cash prize of ₹2,00,000.

The Award will be presented during the opening ceremony of the festival on Wednesday, January 28, 2025 at 5.30 PM at Rukmini Auditorium, MGM Campus, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The felicitation will be held in the gracious presence of various national and international artists, eminent personalities from different fields and film lovers. A celebrated figure in Indian music, for over five decades the 82-year old, has composed over 7,000 songs and original scores for more than 1,500 films. His compositions in various Indian languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, and Marathi, have earned him an enduring place in the hearts of music lovers till today.

The selection committee noted that the Padmapani Award, a symbol of art, compassion and creative devotion, is a fitting tribute to Ilaiyaraaja’s spirituality, technical discipline and the profound human sensitivity, the qualities that have earned him the title ‘Isaignani’ (The Musical Sage) among his admirers. Shri Ilaiyaraaja is also serving as a member of the Rajya Sabha nominated by the President.

Ilaiyaraaja received several awards for his works throughout his career. In 2012, for his creative and experimental works in the field of music, he received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the highest Indian recognition given to people in the field of performing arts. In 2010 he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian honour in India, and in 2018 the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award by the government of India. He is a nominated Member of Parliament in the Indian upper house Rajya Sabha since July 2022.