Ilaiyaraaja to receive Padmapani Award at Ajanta-Ellora Film Festival

Legendary music composer Ilaiyaraaja will be honoured with the prestigious Padmapani Award at the Ajanta-Ellora International Film Festival (AIFF) 2026, organisers announced on Sunday.

The annual festival is scheduled to be held from January 28 to February 4 in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The award will be presented to the maestro during the opening ceremony on January 28.

According to the organisers, the ceremony will be attended by national and international artists, eminent personalities from various fields and film enthusiasts from across the country and abroad.

The Padmapani Award is conferred in recognition of outstanding contribution to cinema and the arts. Ilaiyaraaja, widely regarded as one of India’s greatest music composers, has enriched Indian cinema with thousands of compositions across multiple languages over a career spanning several decades.

The organisers said the honour celebrates his unparalleled legacy and lasting influence on Indian and world music.