Ilaiyaraaja marks 50 years as ‘Gondhal’ becomes India’s Oscar entry

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Legendary composer Ilaiyaraaja is marking 50 years in Indian cinema with a major international milestone. His music features in the Marathi psychological thriller Gondhal, which has been selected as India’s official entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards, to be held in 2027.

The Film Federation of India announced the selection on September 18, choosing the Santosh Davakhar directorial from 33 submitted films.

Ilaiyaraaja completes 50 years in Indian cinema

According to the official credits, Ilaiyaraaja has composed the music for Santosh Davakhar's 'Gondhal'. Ilaiyaraaja completed five decades in Indian cinema in May 2026, marking 50 years since his debut film Annakili was released in 1976. Over the course of his career, the composer has worked across several Indian languages and has scored music for more than 1,500 films, according to recent reports and his official biography.

The milestone has been celebrated through concerts and events in India and overseas. Ilaiyaraaja has also been taking his 50-year celebrations on a concert tour across Europe and North America.The Oscar selection of Gondhal adds another significant chapter to the celebrations. The Marathi film, written and directed by Santosh Davakhar, will represent India in the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.

‘Gondhal’ becomes a special milestone for Ilaiyaraaja

Set in rural Maharashtra, Gondhal revolves around the traditional Gondhal ritual and explores relationships, individual aspirations and human frailties. The film stars Ishita Deshmukh, Kishor Kadam, Yogesh Sohoni,

Nishad Bhoir

and Anuj Prabhu, among others. The film was selected from a field of 33 submissions considered by the Film Federation of India. Its selection marks the fourth time a Marathi-language film has been chosen as India’s official Oscar entry.With Ilaiyaraaja composing its music, Gondhal also gives the veteran composer a notable connection to India’s Oscar campaign during his golden jubilee year. It is the first film featuring his music to be selected as India’s official entry for the Academy Awards. The film had previously earned recognition on the festival circuit, including the Silver Peacock Award for Best Director for Davakhar at the 56th International Film Festival of India in 2025.

Ilaiyaraaja’s five-decade musical journey

Ilaiyaraaja, widely known as the Maestro, has composed music for films in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi and several other languages. Beyond cinema, his body of work includes devotional compositions and classical works, including Thiruvasakam in Symphony. His contribution to Indian music has been recognised with several major honours, including the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan. He has also received multiple National Film Awards and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.In 2026, Ilaiyaraaja continued to expand his filmography with Dorothy, Karthik Subbaraj’s 10th directorial venture. The Tamil film, starring

Keerthy Suresh

, Sananth and Rishikanth, features an original score by Ilaiyaraaja. It had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and received a standing ovation.