A 10th century sandstone statue of an Apsara from Madhya Pradesh, India.

An Apsara (Sanskrit: अप्सराः apsarāḥ, plural अप्सरसः apsarasaḥ, stem apsaras-, a feminine consonant stem, អប្សរា), also known as Vidhya Dhari or Tep Apsar (ទេព​អប្សរ) in Khmer, Accharā (Pāli) or A Bố Sa La Tư (Vietnamese), Bidadari (Indonesian & Malay), Biraddali (Tausug), Hapsari or Widodari (Javanese) and Apson (Thai: อัปสร), is a female spirit of the clouds and waters in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. English translations of the word "Apsara" include "nymph," "celestial nymph," and "celestial maiden."

Apsaras are beautiful, supernatural female beings. They are youthful and elegant, and superb in the art of dancing. They are often the wives of the Gandharvas, the court musicians of Indra. They dance to the music made by the Gandharvas, usually in the palaces of the gods, entertain and sometimes seduce gods and men. As caretakers of fallen heroes, they may be compared to the valkyries of Norse mythology. As ethereal beings who inhabit the skies, and are often depicted taking flight, or at service of a god, they may be compared to angels.

Apsaras are said to be able to change their shape at will, and rule over the fortunes of gaming and gambling. Urvasi, Menaka, Rambha and Tilottama are the most famous among them. Apsaras are sometimes compared to the muses of ancient Greece, with each of the 26 Apsaras at Indra's court representing a distinct aspect of the performing arts. Apsaras are associated with water; thus, they may be compared to the nymphs, dryads and naiads of ancient Greece. They are associated with fertility rites.

There are two types of Apsaras; Laukika (worldly), of whom thirty-four are specified, and Daivika (divine), of which there are ten.

The Bhagavata Purana also states that the Apsaras were born from Kashyap and Muni.

Apsaras in literature[link]

Apsara, Devi Jgadambi Temple, Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, India

Rig Veda[link]

The Rig Veda tells of an Apsara who is the wife of Gandharva; however, the Rig Veda also seems to allow for the existence of more than one Apsara. The only Apsara specifically named is Urvashi. An entire hymn deals with the colloquy between Urvashi and her mortal lover Pururavas.^[1] Later Hindu scriptures allow for the existence of numerous Apsaras, who act as the handmaidens of Indra or as dancers at his celestial court.

Golden apsara in Majapahit style, Java, Indonesia.

Mahabharata[link]

In many of the stories related in the Mahabharata, Apsaras appear in important supporting roles. The epic contains several lists of the principal Apsaras, which lists are not always identical. Here is one such list, together with a description of how the celestial dancers appeared to the residents and guests at the court of the gods:

Ghritachi and Menaka and Rambha and Purvachitti and Swayamprabha and Urvashi and Misrakeshi and Dandagauri and Varuthini and Gopali and Sahajanya and Kumbhayoni and Prajagara and Chitrasena and Chitralekha and Saha and Madhuraswana, these and others by thousands, possessed of eyes like lotus leaves, who were employed in enticing the hearts of persons practising rigid austerities, danced there. And possessing slim waists and fair large hips, they began to perform various evolutions, shaking their deep bosoms, and casting their glances around, and exhibiting other attractive attitudes capable of stealing the hearts and resolutions and minds of the spectators.^[2]

Exploits of individual Apsaras[link]

The Mahabharata documents the exploits of individual Apsaras, such as Tilottama, who rescued the world from the rampaging asura brothers Sunda and Upasunda, and Urvashi, who attempted to seduce the hero Arjuna.

The Nymph and the Sage[link]

A story type or theme appearing over and over again in the Mahabharata is that of an Apsara sent to distract a sage or spiritual master from his ascetic practices. One story embodying this theme is that recounted by the epic heroine Shakuntala to explain her own parentage.^[3] Once upon a time, the sage Viswamitra generated such intense energy by means of his asceticism that Indra himself became fearful. Deciding that the sage would have to be distracted from his penances, he sent the Apsara Menaka to work her charms. Menaka trembled at the thought of angering such a powerful ascetic, but she obeyed the god's order. As she approached Viswamitra, the wind god Vayu tore away her garments. Seeing her thus disrobed, the sage abandoned himself to lust. Nymph and sage engaged in sex for some time, during which Viswamitra's asceticism was put on hold. As a consequence, Menaka gave birth to a daughter, whom she abandoned on the banks of a river. That daughter was Shakuntala herself, the narrator of the story.

Natya Shastra[link]

A stone sculpture of an Apsara holding a diya to be lit inside, Padmanabhapuram Palace.

Natya Shastra, the principle work of dramatic theory for Sanskrit drama, lists the following apsaras: Manjukesi, Sukesi, Misrakesi, Sulochana, Saudamini, Devadatta, Devasena, Manorama, Sudati, Sundari, Vigagdha, Vividha, Budha, Sumala, Santati, Sunanda, Sumukhi, Magadhi, Arjuni, Sarala, Kerala, Dhrti, Nanda, Supuskala, Supuspamala and Kalabha.

Apsaras in Indonesian and Malay culture[link]

The term 'Bidadari' (from sanskrit vidhya dharya; 'the bearer of knowledge') is a Malay-Indonesian word that equates refer Indian concept; as heavenly maidens living in the svargaloka or in celestial palace of Indra, described in Balinese dedari (Bidadari or Apsara) dance. However after the adoption of Islam, bidadari is equated with heavenly maiden mentioned in the Quran, in which God stated that the 'forbidden pearls' of heaven are for those men who have resisted temptation and borne life's trials. Islam spread in the Malay archipelago when Arabic traders came to trade spices with the Malays; at that time, Hinduism formed the basis of the Malay culture, but syncretism with the Islamic religion and culture spawned the idea of a Bidadari. It is usually seen as a prized offer to those who lived a lifestyle in service to and pleasing to God; after death, the Bidadari was the man's wife or wives, depending on what type of person he was. The worthiness of a man who was offered Bidadari depended upon his holiness: how often he prayed, how much he turned away from the 'outside world', and how little he heeded worldly desires.

In the visual arts[link]

The Apsara of Borobudur, the flying celestial maiden depicted in bas-relief of 8th century Borobudur temple, Java, Indonesia.

Apsaras in the art of ancient Indonesia (Java and Bali)[link]

Images of Apsaras are found in several temples of ancient Java dating from the era of the Sailendra dynasty to that of the Majapahit empire. Usually they are not found as decorative motifs but as integral parts of a story in bas-relief, as for example at Borobudur, Mendut, Prambanan, Plaosan, and Penataran. At Borobudur apsaras are depicted as divinely beautiful celestial maidens, pictured either in standing or in flying positions, usually holding lotus blossoms, spreading flower petals, or waving celestial clothes as if they were wings enabling them to fly. The temple of Mendut near Borobudur depicted groups of devatas, divine beings flying in heaven, which included apsaras.

The Balinese Legong dance depict celestial maidens, Bali, Indonesia.

Traditionally apsaras are described as celestial maidens living in Indra's heaven (Kaéndran). They are well known for their special task: being sent to earth by Indra to seduce ascetics who by their severe practices may become more powerful than the gods. This theme occurs frequently in Javanese traditions, including the "Kakawin Arjunawiwaha", written by mpu Kanwa in 1030 during the reign of king Airlangga. The story tells that Arjuna, in order to defeat the giant Niwatakawaca, engaged in meditation and asceticism, whereupon Indra sent apsaras to seduce him. Arjuna, however, managed to conquer his lust and then to win the ultimate weapons from the gods to defeat the giant.

Later in the Javanese tradition the apsara was also called Hapsari, also known as Widodari (from sanskrit word Vidhyadhari, vidhya: knowledge, dharya: having, bearer, or bringer), and finally known as Bidadari in the modern Indonesian language (the same form of the word is now present in the Malay language, as well). The Javanese Hindu-Buddhist tradition also influenced Bali. In Balinese dance the theme of celestial maidens often occurred. Dances such as Sanghyang Dedari and Legong depicted divine maidens in their own way. In the court of Mataram Sultanate the tradition of depicting heavenly maidens in dances still alive and well. The Javanese court dances of Bedhaya portray apsaras.

Apsaras in the art and architecture of Cambodia[link]

Khmer Apsara dancers

Apsaras represent an important motif in the stone bas-reliefs of the Angkorian temples in Cambodia (8th–13th century AD), however all female images are not considered to be apsaras. In harmony with the Indian association of dance with apsaras, Khmer female figures that are dancing or are poised to dance are considered apsaras; female figures, depicted individually or in groups, who are standing still and facing forward in the manner of temple guardians or custodians are called devatas.^[4]

Angkor Wat, the largest Angkorian temple built (1116–1150 AD), features both apsaras and devata, however the devata type are the most numerous with more than 1,796 in the present research inventory.^[5] Angkor Wat architects employed small apsara images (30–40 cm as seen at left) as decorative motifs on pillars and walls. They incorporated larger devata images (all full-body portraits measuring approximately 95–110 cm) more prominently at every level of the temple from the entry pavilion to the tops of the high towers. In 1927, Sappho Marchal published a study cataloging the remarkable diversity of their hair, headdresses, garments, stance, jewelry and decorative flowers, which Marchal concluded were based on actual practices of the Angkor period. Some devata appear with arms around each other and seem to be greeting the viewer. “The devatas seem to epitomize all the elements of a refined elegance,” wrote Marchal.^[6]

Khmer classical dance[link]

Khmer classical dance, the indigenous ballet-like performance art of Cambodia, is frequently called "Apsara Dance".

Apsaras in the art of Champa[link]

Apsaras were also an important motif in the art of Champa, medieval Angkor's neighbor to the east along the coast of what is now central Vietnam. Especially noteworthy are the depictions of apsaras in the Tra Kieu Style of Cham art, a style which flourished in the 10th and 11th centuries A.D.

Apsaras in the cave art of China[link]

Apsaras are often depicted as flying figures in the mural paintings and sculptures of Buddhist cave sites in China such as in the Mogao Caves, Yulin Caves, and the Yungang and Longmen Grottoes. They may also be depicted as dancers or musicians. They may be referred to as feitian in Chinese.

• 

  Apsaras dance taken from the 12th century Bayon temple at Angkor in Cambodia.

• 

  Apsaras are depicted on the base of the Tra Kieu Pedestal, a work of 10th c. Cham art.

• 

  Apsara from Yulin Caves near Dunhuang, China

• 

  Apsara Surasundari in Borobudur

See also[link]

• Angel
• Angkor Wat
• Architecture of Cambodia
• Art of Champa
• Dakini
• Devata
• Elf
• Ethereal being
• Fairy
• Gandharva - Celestial male companions of the asparas
• Houri
• Nymph
• Tennin, a Japanese development of Indian apsaras
• Valkyrie from Norse mythology
• Vishnu
• Yakshini

Footnotes[link]

References[link]

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 
• Marchal, Sappho. Khmer Costumes and Ornaments of the Devatas of Angkor Wat. First English edition. Orchid Press, 2005. ISBN 978-974-524-057-5
• The Rig Veda in the English translation prepared by Ralph T.H. Griffith is available online at sacred-texts.com.
• The Mahabharata in the English translation prepared by Kisari Mohan Ganguli is available online at sacred-texts.com.
• The Monuments of the Angkor Group by Maurice Glaize is available online in English translation.

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Apsara

• Chinese Apsaras depicted in Dunhuang Caves
• Comparison of Khmer Apsaras and Devata
• Costumes and Ornaments after the Devata of Angkor Wat by Sappho Marchal - Book review
• Indian Devata at Rajarani Temple in Orissa
• Japanese traditions of celestial maidens Tennin (apsara), Hiten (flying apsara), Tennyo (celestial maiden) & Karyobinga (bird body with angel head)
• Rice Goddesses of Indonesia, Cambodia and Thailand
• Apsara Dance at Siem Reap, Cambodia
• Sanghyang Dedari, Balinese dance depicting bidadari (vidhyadari) celestial maiden

v t e Hindu deities and texts Gods Deva Ganesha Brahma Vishnu Shiva Rama Krishna Murugan Hanuman Indra Surya more Goddesses Adi parashakti Devi Saraswati Lakshmi Sati Parvati Durga Shakti Kali Sita Radha Mahavidya Navadurga Matrikas more Texts Vedas Upanishads Puranas Ramayana Mahabharata Bhagavad Gita more Hinduism Hindu mythology

Amala Paul
Amala Paul at a public relations event (2010)
Born	Amala Paul (1991-10-26)October 26, 1991 Kochi, Kerala, India
Other names	Anakha
Occupation	Actress, model
Years active	2009 – present

Amala Paul (born October 26, 1991) is an Indian film actress, who works primarily in the Tamil film industry. After appearing in supporting roles in a few low budget ventures, she received critical acclaim for the portrayal of a controversial character in the film, Sindhu Samaveli. Despite the failure of that film, Amala became noted after playing the title role in Mynaa, receiving critical acclaim for her work. Since then, she has been signed on for several notable projects and is considered the leading upcoming actress in Tamil films.^[1]

Career[link]

Early career[link]

Amala Paul, after finishing her Plus Two education, took a year out before planning to pursue engineering. At the time, her modelling portfolio was spotted by noted Malayalam director Lal Jose who offered her a supporting role in his remake, Neelathamara (2009). Despite emerging a success, the film failed to attract any further offers, as she had anticipated.^[2] She pursued roles in Tamil films and went on to sign the low-budget comedy film Vikadakavi which was delayed and ultimately became her sixth release, while also signing on to play the lead role in another small budget film Veerasekaran (2010). The film, which became her maiden Tamil release, was panned by critics and went completely unnoticed,^[3][4] while Amala's role was being labelled as 'minimal',^[3] and she later cited that she regretted doing the film and many of her scenes were edited out.^[2] Amala Paul then went on to work in Samy's controversial Sindhu Samaveli (2010), portraying the role of Sundari, who has an illicit relationship with her father-in-law. The director of the film had previously drawn criticism for his depictions of illicit romances as well as for assaulting his previous lead actress in a film, but Amala played down the issue citing that she had no problem with the director.^[2] She was approached after the major portions of her next release, Mynaa were ready and signed on before listening to the entirety of the story, claiming that she was shocked but not upset with the controversial scenes which she heard later.^[2] Upon release, the film met with contrasting reviews, whilst some critics refused to give the film a rating, declaring their disgust at the film's plot.^[5][6] Amala's performance won her critical acclaim. However her success was marred with extreme reactions from the public, with Amala claiming she received death threats from anonymous callers and was publicly scolded by women at a cinema hall in Chennai.^[7]

[edit] Mynaa and the future (2010 - present)

Amala's next release, the romantic drama film Mynaa (2010) by Prabhu Solomon, made her a recognised actress in the industry. The film had garnered much anticipation prior to release, with noted distributors Udhayanidhi Stalin and Kalpathi S. Aghoram purchasing the rights of the film after being impressed with it.^[8] Amala played the village belle Mynaa, attaining unanimous praise from critics for her portrayal; a critic labelled her work as "outstanding" and that she put in a "riveting performance",^[9] while other reviews claimed she had "immense talent" and scores in "every instance" in the title role.^[10] The film, which also saw her gain recognition from noted actors Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth, subsequently became a large commercial success at the box-office.^[8] Amala Paul gained recognition from several award committees and notably secured the Vijay Award for Best Debut Actress, while also gaining nominations in the Best Actress category at the Filmfare Awards and the Vijay Awards.

Following the success of Mynaa, Amala became touted as the "new star of 2011" as she subsequently signed on to several prominent projects.^[1] Her first release of 2011 was in a supporting role in the Malayalam drama film, Ithu Nammude Katha, a remake of the successful Tamil film Naadodigal and the second was meant to be her launch in Tamil films, the coming-to-age tale of five friends Vikadakavi with the film opening to limited screens. Both films opened to limited screens due to the moderate budget of the projects, with her performance in the latter being described as "full of potential".^[11] She went on to sign three big budget films with established production houses, with the drama Deiva Thirumagal directed by Vijay, featuring her opposite Vikram and alongside Anushka,^[12] becoming her next release. Her portrayal of school correspondent Shwetha Rajendran won critical acclaim with a reviewer citing that her "expressive eyes help her leave a mark in a small but important role" whilst another critic claimed she "acquits herself well".^[13][14] Her final release of 2011 was Ram Gopal Varma's Bejawada which marked her début in Telugu language films. The film saw her portray college girl, Geetanjali, and featured her opposite Naga Chaitanya, but the film opened to negative reviews and became a surprise box office failure.^[15]

Amala Paul's first release of 2012 was in Linguswamy's multi-starring action entertainer, Vettai, alongside Arya, Madhavan and Sameera Reddy.^[12] The film opened to critical and commercial acclaim with The New York Times claiming the film "entertains without breaking any new ground, though it can also surprise".^[16] Amala Paul won mixed feedback for her performance; while the critic from Sify mentioned she "is lovely to look at and her feisty performance proves that a star is born",^[17] Pavithra Srinivasan of Rediff cited she "struts, pouts and hams to the hilt".^[18] The actress had three films released on the Valentine's Day weekend of 2012, with Balaji Mohan's bilingual Kadhalil Sodhappuvadhu Yeppadi and Love Failure becoming critical and commercial successes. The film, made in Tamil and Telugu, featured her alongside Siddharth and portrayed as her college girl, Parvathi, showing her romantic encounter. About the Tamil version, a reviewer from The Hindu wrote: "Amala Paul, after coming across as convincing in her last few movies, looks finally set as a leading lady", while another critc labelled that she "comes across as natural" and "it is a pleasure to see her in a role and costumes that suit her age as compared to her recent movies".^[19][20] Rediff.com called the Telugu version of the film "refreshing", highlighting that the lead pair's on-screen chemistry "sparkles".^[21] The romantic musical Muppozhudhum Un Karpanaigal opposite Adharvaa, also released on the same day in which she played Charulatha, a modern girl based in Bangalore. She played a notable role in renowned director Dr. Biju's Aakashathinte Niram, which was her first art-house film. The film was screened at the competition section for the Golden Goblet Award in the 15th Shanghai International Film Festival.

Personal life[link]

Amala was born on October 26, 1991 in Ernakulam, Kerala to Christian Malayali parents, Paul Varghese and Annice Paul.^[22] After completing her Plus Two examinations at Nirmala Higher Secondary School, Aluva she took a sabbatical to begin a career in films, but has since joined St. Teresa's College in Kochi, to pursue a BA degree in English and is currently in her third year.^[12][23] Her father had been strictly against Amala pursuing an acting career, but was forced to accept her decision with her older brother, Abijith, strongly backing her ambition.^[12] She later claimed she had performing arts in her DNA, revealing that her mother was a singer and her dad was into theatre in college.^[24] Amala had changed her on-screen name to Anakha, on director Samy's insistence, who cited that another actress, Amala had already made her name popular. However, after the failure of Sindhu Samaveli, she reverted to her birth name since she felt that the replacement had brought her bad luck.^[12]

Filmography[link]

Awards[link]

|Just For Women- Sun TV |Youth Female Actor |style="background: #99FF99; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2"|Won |}

References[link]

External links[link]

• Amala Paul at the Internet Movie Database
• Amala Paul in Twitter

Yuvan Shankar Raja (Tamil: யுவன் சங்கர் ராஜா; born 31 August 1979) is a Tamil film score and soundtrack composer, singer and occasional lyricist. He has predominantly scored music for Tamil as well as several Telugu films. His musical career began in 1996, at age 16, as he composed the film score for Aravindhan. After initial struggle, he made his big break with the Thulluvadho Ilamai soundtrack (2001), and evolved as one of Tamil cinema's most sought-after composers by the mid-2000s.^[1]

Within a span of 14 years, Yuvan Shankar Raja worked on over 85 films. Considered a versatile composer, he often strives for different and innovative music and has explored and used elements of various genres in his compositions that range from folk to heavy metal.^[2] 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.^[3][4][5] Being immensely popular among the younger generation,^[3][6] he is frequently referred to as the "Rockstar",^[7][8][9] and the "Youth Icon of Tamil Film Music".^[5][10][11] In addition, Yuvan Shankar Raja is recognized for his background score in films (re-recording) that have fetched him accolades among critics.^[12][13]

He has won two Filmfare Awards; the Best Music Director Award in 2004 for his score in the drama 7G Rainbow Colony at age 25, remaining the youngest winner of the award, and the Special Jury Award in 2009 for his Telugu musical Oy!. 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.

Early life[link]

Born on 31 August 1979, in Chennai, India into a Tamil family, Yuvan Shankar Raja is the third and youngest child of musician and film composer Ilaiyaraaja and his wife 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 did not get a "good team to work with".^[14] His father as well as his siblings have sung many songs under his direction.

Film director and film composer Gangai Amaran and 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 Prabhu's films have had all musical score by Yuvan, while Premji had assisted him composing music for some years,^[15] before becoming an independent composer aside from the fact, that both have sung several songs under the direction of Yuvan Shankar Raja.

Yuvan Shankar did his schooling at St. Bede's Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School in Chennai,^[16][17] and discontinued his education after his tenth class. He started learning music from Jacob Master,^[18] 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.^[18] 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.^[18]

Career[link]

Film score and soundtracks[link]

Early years (1997-2000)[link]

In 1996, following his mother's suggestion to take up music as a profession, Yuvan Shankar Raja started composing tunes for an album.^[19] It was then that T. Siva, the producer of the Tamil language film Aravindhan, after hearing some of the tunes, asked to compose a trailer music. As the producer was so much impressed of which, he gave Yuvan Shankar the assignment to compose the entire film score including a soundtrack for that film.^[19] After consulting and getting consent from his parents, he accepted the offer; his music career started. His entry into the Tamil film and music industry had happened at age 16, thus becoming one of the most youngest composers ever in the industry, which, he says, was "purely accidental".^[20]

However, both the soundtrack album as well as the film itself failed to attract audiences and to do well and Yuvan Shankar Raja's following projects Velai (1998) and Kalyana Galatta (1998) were not successful either; his compositions for these films did not receive good reviews or responses,^[21][22] with one reviewer labelling the music and re-recording in the latter as "cacophony" and "poor".^[23] The failures of his first projects caused that he was not offered any film projects and assignments subsequently.^[24] During this time of struggling, he was approached and assigned by director Vasanth to compose the music for his film Poovellam Kettuppar (1999). The soundtrack received very positive response, bring described as "fresh" and "different", with a critic from The New Indian Express citing that his "absolutely enchanting musical score [...] bears testimony to his ‘Raja’ surname."^[25] The album became very popular, particularly songs like "Irava Pagala" and "Chudithar Aninthu", gaining him first time notice, especially among young people and children.^[21][26] The album would make possible his first breakthrough in the industry and proved to be a major turning point in his career.^[2] After working for two Sundar C. films, Unakkaga Ellam Unakkaga (1999) and Rishi (2000), which both fared averagely at the box office, he got to work for A. R. Murugadoss' directorial debut in 2000, the action flick Dheena starring Ajith Kumar, which went on to become a blockbuster and Yuvan Shankar Raja's first major successful film.^[27] Yuvan Shankar's songs were equally successful,^[28][29] which are considered to have played a major role for the film's great success.^[30] whilst his background score in the film was also well appreciated.

Rise to prominence (2001-2003)[link]

Thanks to this film's enormous success, he eventually broke into the Tamil music scene as offers were pouring in subsequently. He was mainly approached by many young new directors. In 2001 he had three album releases, the first being Thulluvadho Ilamai, collaborating with Selvaraghavan for the first time.^[31] The soundtrack album of Thulluvadho Ilamai particularly appealed to the younger generation. The film itself, marking the debut of Selvaraghavan's brother Dhanush, released one year later and became a sleeper hit at the Chennai box office.^[32][33] This was followed by Bala's Nandha (2001), for which he received rave reviews.^[21] He then gained notice by churning out "youthful music" in the college-life based April Maadhathil (2002), the romantic comedy films Kadhal Samrajyam (2002),^[34] and Mounam Pesiyadhe (2002), Ameer's directorial debut film, and the triangular love story Punnagai Poove (2002), in which he also made his on-screen debut, appearing in some scenes and one song sequence.^[35] At the same time he made his Telugu debut with Seshu and Malli Malli Chudali and also composed for the Tamil films Junior Senior and Pop Carn, starring Malayalam actors Mammootty and Mohan Lal, respectively, all of which performing poorly at the box offices, though.

In 2003 Selvaraghavan's first independent directorial, the drama-thriller film Kaadhal Kondein released, which is considered a milestone for Yuvan Shankar Raja.^[36] His work in the film, particularly his background score, was unanimously praised, leading to the release of a separate CD consisting of several film score pieces, a la "Hollywood-style", which was reportedly the first film score CD release in India. Furthermore, the film went on to become a blockbuster, cementing the film's lead artist Dhanush and Yuvan Shankar in the Tamil film and music industry.^[37] The same year, he worked in Vishnuvardhan's debut film, Kurumbu, which featured the first remix song in a Tamil film. By that time, in a career spanning less than a decade, Yuvan Shankar Raja had established himself as one of the leading and most-sought after music directors in the Tamil film industry, despite having worked predominantly with newcomers and in low-budget productions.^[36][37]

Success (2004-2007)[link]

Yuvan Shankar's 2004 releases, 7G Rainbow Colony, another Selvaraghavan film, and Silambarasan's Manmadhan, were both critically and commercially successful films, featuring acclaimed as well as popular music by Yuvan Shankar Raja, which also contributed to the films' successes.^[36][38][39] His work in the former, in particular, got critically acclaimed and eventually led him to win the Best Music Direction Award at the 2004 Filmfare Awards South;^[40] receiving the award at the age of 25, he remains the youngest winning music composer of the award. From since, he has had nine to ten releases every year on average, making him one of the most prolific film composers of India.^[6][41]

His first of nine album releases of 2005 was Raam. His score for the Ameer-directed thriller, labelled as "soul-stirring", fetched him further accolades^[42][43] and eventually yielded a win at the 2006 Cyprus International Film Festival for Best Musical score in a Feature Film,^[44][45] the first such award for an Indian composer. His success streak continued with his following releases of that year, low-budget films such as Arinthum Ariyamalum, Kanda Naal Mudhal and Sandakozhi surprisingly becoming successful ventures at the box office, since also Yuvan Shankar's compositions like "Theepidikka",^[46] "Panithuli" and "Dhavani Potta" from the respective soundtracks enjoyed popularity and played an important role for the films's successes.^[47] After the release of the soundtrack for the S. J. Suryaah-starring romantic comedy, Kalvanin Kadhali that also enjoyed popularity post the film's release,^[45][48] his final album of 2005, Pudhupettai, released, which saw him once again collaborating with director Selvaraghavan. The ten-track experimental album, receiving exceptionally rave reviews, was considered Yuvan Shankar Raja's finest work till then and being hailed as a "musical masterpiece".^[49][50] The soundtrack and score of the film featured a traditional orchestral score played by the "Chapraya Symphony" of Bangkok,^[51] the first time in a Tamil film. Critics felt that this project, in particular, proved his abilities and talent to produce innovative and experimentative scores as well.^[52] Karthik Srinivasan from milliblog commented that "Yuvan’s imagination soars way beyond the confines of a Tamil movie OST", describing the album as "clearly one of the most innovative albums in recent times".^[53] The film itself, releasing only in May 2006, did average business, despite opening to outstanding reviews.

He next worked on the romantic comedies Happy and Azhagai Irukkirai Bayamai Irukkirathu and the gangster film Pattiyal, which all released in early 2006. His Happy songs and score received positive reviews, with critics labelling the "youthful music" as "excellent",^[54] and the film's "main strength",^[55] whilst his score for Pattiyal was highly praised by critics; a Sify reviewer wrote, "Yuvan Shankar Raja’s music and background score is the life of the film".^[56] Further more, both films went on to become very successful ventures, both commercially and critically. His subsequent releases that year include Silambarasan's debut directorial, Vallavan and the action entertainer Thimiru. Yuvan Shankar Raja was hailed as the "real hero" of the former,^[57] which featured some of the year's most listened tracks like "Loosu Penne" and "Yammadi Aathadi",^[58] while the latter film ranked amongst the year's highest-grossing films. In November 2006, the Paruthiveeran soundtrack album got released, which saw the composer foraying into pure rural folk music,^[59] using traditional music instruments.^[60] Though initially releasing to mixed reviews, with critics doubting whether the songs could attract modern youth audience,^[61][62] his first attempt at rural music turned out to be a major success, following the film's outstanding run at the box office.^[63][64] The film, Ameer's third feature film as well as Karthi's debut venture, received universal critical acclaim after its release in February 2007 and became a blockbuster, whilst particularly the song "Oororam Puliyamaram" was a chartbuster number in Tamil Nadu.^[65][66]

In 2007, he had a record ten album releases in one year. The first was the soundtrack of the romantic drama film Deepavali, following which the audios of the sports comedy film Chennai 600028, the Telugu family entertainer Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule, Vasanth's thriller film Satham Podathey and the romantic films Thottal Poo Malarum and Kannamoochi Yenada released, with the former three being well-received besides garnering positive reviews. The films, Chennai 600028, Venkat Prabhu's directorial debut, and Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule, Selvaraghavan's Telugu debut, in particular, were high commercial successes and became one of the year's most successful films in Tamil and Telugu, respectively. In late 2007 then, the audio and the film Kattradhu Thamizh got released. The soundtrack album, which was released as Tamil M. A., as well as the film itself, had been met with exceptionally positive reviews and critical acclaim. The music was widely considered a "musical sensation" and noted to be a proof of Yuvan Shankar Raja's "composing skills".^[67][68][69] However, despite outstanding reviews by critics, the venture failed to evoke the interest of the audience and did not enjoy much popularity. His final release of 2007 was Billa, a remake of the 1980 Rajinikanth-starrer of the same title. This film, remade by Vishnuvardhan, starring Ajith Kumar in the title role, also featured two remixes from the original version. The film emerged one of the top-grossers of the year,^[70] whilst also fetching rave reviews for Yuvan Shankar's stylish musical score.^[71]

Recent work (2008-present)[link]

In 2008, five films, featuring Yuvan's music were released, two of them being the Tamil and Kannada remakes of Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule, titled Yaaradi Nee Mohini and Anthu Inthu Preethi Banthu, respectively, which partly featured the original score and songs. The Tamil version, in particular, was able to repeat the success of the original film, emerging a high commercial success, while yielding Yuvan his second Filmfare nomination. The other releases that year include Seeman's Vaazhthugal, Venkat Prabhu's comedy-thriller Saroja, Ajith Kumar's action thriller Aegan and Silambarasan Rajendar's masala flick Silambattam, out of which, Saroja and Silambattam proved to be successful at the box office, with Yuvan Shankar's score in the former and his songs in the latter garnering accolades and several awards at the 2009 Isaiyaruvi Tamil Music Awards.^[72] In 2009, nine of his soundtrack albums released. Excluding the romantic comedy Siva Manasula Sakthi, featuring his most popular song of the year "Oru Kal Oru Kannadi", all other films failed at the box office. Besides "Oru Kal", the songs "Siragual" (Sarvam) and "Aedho Saigiral" (Vaamanan) also became popular.^[73][74] He had provided a rural score again in Kunguma Poovum Konjum Puravum and a sarangi-based score for the urban action drama of Ameer's Yogi, both going unnoticed. His score for his Telugu romantic musical Oy! fetched him the Special Jury Award at the 2010 South Filmfare Awards.

In late 2009, the soundtrack album of Paiyaa released, which was regarded as a "blockbuster album" and "magnum opus",^[75][76] as it went on to become exceptionally popular, much prior to the film's release,^[77] and probably one of Yuvan Shankar Raja's biggest success of his career. The song "Thuli Thuli" had become the first Tamil song to be featured in the India Top 20 list for April 2010, indicating that it was the most frequently played Tamil song on all Indian FM radio stations in the history of Tamil film music.^[78] The film itself became one the highest earners of the year, particularly supported by Yuvan's score and songs. Along with Paiyaa, songs from three more films for which he composed music that year - Naan Mahaan Alla, Baana Kaathadi and Boss Engira Bhaskaran - featured among the Top 10 chartbusters of the year.^[6] In early 2010 he composed his first Bollywood song "Haq Se" as part of the ensemble soundtrack of the film Striker, starring his close friend Siddharth, which received thoroughly positive reviews. In 2011, he teamed up with Silambarasan again for the anthology film Vaanam, with the song "Evan Di Unna Pethan" from the album, that was released as a single, gaining popularity. His next film was Bala's Avan Ivan; Yuvan's songs generally fetched positive reviews.^[79] He next composed a score that drew influence from several world music styles for the critically acclaimed independent gangster film Aaranya Kaandam,^[80] winning high praise from critics.^[81] He went on to work in Venkat Prabhu's action thriller Mankatha, his biggest project till date, and Vishnuvardhan's first Telugu venture Panjaa. His last two releases of 2011 were the soundtrack albums to the action-masala films Rajapattai and Vettai, both of which received mixed response and failed to reach success. Yuvan Shankar Raja is currently working on nearly ten projects simultaneously, including Billa II, starring Ajith Kumar and Ameer's long-delayed Aadhi Bhagavan.

Besides Tamil films, he has also scored music for films in other South Indian languages. Around 35 of the Tamil films, for which he had composed music, were afterwards dubbed into Telugu, Kannada or Malayalam languages as were the respective soundtracks. Apart from these ones, he also worked "straightly" on Telugu projects such as Seshu, Malli Malli Chudali, Happy, Raam, Raju Bhai and Aadavari Matalaku Ardhalu Verule, making him a well-known popular composer in Andhra Pradesh, too.^[82] His latest Telugu album Oy! has become a grand success as it topped the charts for several weeks. Yuvan's latest album of 2011, Panjaa has created all time records, creating new waves (trends) as a rocking album in Andhra Pradesh.^[83]

Yuvan Shankar Raja's collaborations with several film directors such as Selvaraghavan,^[84][85] Ameer Sultan,^[86] Vishnuvardhan,^[45] Venkat Prabhu^[87] and Linguswamy have always resulted in highly successful soundtracks. Likewise he has often worked together with noted Tamil poet Vaali and young Tamil lyricists including Na. Muthukumar, Pa. Vijay and Snehan and come up with successful compositions.

Other work[link]

Playback singing[link]

Besides, Yuvan Shankar Raja is a noted playback singer as well. As of August 2011, he has sung over 80 songs, mostly his own composed songs and several times for his father Ilaiyaraaja and his brother Karthik Raja. He lent his voice first in 1988, when he was eight years old for a song in the film En Bommukutty Ammavukku, composed by his father. Since, he frequently sang for his father in films such as Anjali (1990), Chatriyan (1990), Thalattu Ketkuthamma (1991), Friends (2001), Kaathal Jaathi (2002) and Ramana (2003) and the upcoming Neethane En Ponvasantham.^[88] Under his brother's direction, he had sung in the films Naam Iruvar Namakku Iruvar (1998) and Ullam Kollai Poguthae (2001). He had also performed a song for the film Siddu +2 (2010), composed by his friend Dharan,^[89] and had lent his voice for the theme song for the World Classical Tamil Conference 2010, set to tune by A. R. Rahman.^[90]

However, he is better known as a singer of his own composed songs. Films, featuring some of his most popular songs as a singer, include Thulluvadho Ilamai, April Maadhathil, Pudhupettai, Pattiyal, Azhagai Irukkirai Bayamai Irukkirathu (in which he had sung all songs),^[91] Deepavali, Kattradhu Thamizh, Siva Manasula Sakthi, Sarvam, Paiyaa and Naan Mahaan Alla, the latter earning him a Filmfare nomination for the Best Male Playback Singer Award.^[92]

Non-cinematic output[link]

Aside from scoring film music and soundtracks, he also produces personal music albums from time to time. In his very early years, in 1999, when he was not familiar to most people yet, he made the Tamil pop album The Blast, that contained 12 tracks, featuring vocals by Kamal Haasan, Unnikrishnan and Nithyashree Mahadevan.^[93] However, the album went downright unnoticed. In 2008, he started working on his second album, the rights of which had been acquired by Sony BMG then.^[94][95][96] Reportedly a bilingual album produced in both Tamil and Hindi, the album never was released.

In 2010, he joined hands with former President of India A. P. J. Abdul Kalam for a grand music video album titled "Song of Youth".^[97] The popular song of the same title, based on which the album is made, was written by Kalam and is set to tunes by Yuvan Shankar Raja, who, along with Kalam and many other celebrities from the field of sports and entertainment, will feature in the video as well.^[98] The album was made as a trilingual, produced in the three languages Tamil, Hindi and English,^[97][99] and remains also unreleased as of 2012.

Concerts[link]

In January 2009, Yuvan had announced his first live performance, which was planned to be held at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada on 25 April 2009. According to Yuvan, the show would have featured around 30 songs, sung by well-known singers and his father Ilaiyaraaja, as well as some stage dances in between by actresses Sana Khan and Meenakshi.^{[100][101][102]} However, the concert had been postponed eventually, with Yuvan Shankar stating, that he was working on novel ideas to make the show memorable and hence, postponed the concert.^[103]

In October 2009 then, he announced that a world tour, titled "Oru Naalil", is planned with a three-hour stage show to be held in various cities all over the world.^[104] The tour began with a show on 1 December 2009 at the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates,^[105][106] featuring performances by singers like Shankar Mahadevan, Hariharan, Karthik, Harish Raghavendra and Silambarasan and professional dancers from Mumbai,^[104] which was expected to be followed by shows in Canada, the U. S. and South Africa.^[104] Also it was planned to conduct the shows in Muscat, Oman and Kuwait,^[104][106] but following the Dubai concert, the tour was cancelled.

In October 2010, Yuvan Shankar Raja disclosed that he had signed for his first live concert in Chennai.^[107] The concert, which was sponsored, organized and later telecasted on STAR Vijay, was held at YMCA Grounds, Nandanam, Chennai, on 16 January 2011.^[108] Additionally, a promotional music video, "I'll Be There for You", composed and sung by Yuvan Shankar, himself, directed by Vishnuvardhan and shot by Nirav Shah, was made,^[109] while STAR Vijay aired a 3-week, 14 episode serial on Yuvan Shankar Raja as a run-up to the concert.^[110]

In February 2012 Techofes organized a live-in tribute concert for Yuvan Shankar Raja where he also performed.^[111]

Music style and impact[link]

Yuvan Shankar Raja's music predominantly displays the use of Western musical elements. He is creditted with having introduced Hip-hop in the Tamil film music industry and having successfully integrated the genre into the Tamil musical mainstream. He has explored various genres,^[104] and experimented with new sounds. Yuvan Shankar Raja has not learnt Indian classical music,^[112] although he has used complex swara patterns and carnatic rāgas in several films, including Nandha and Thulluvadho Ilamai. Critics have noted that Yuvan Shankar Raja's music has a "youthful character to it",^[112] with his compositions in particular appealing to the younger generation.

Yuvan Shankar Raja started the "era of remixes"; "Aasai Nooru Vagai" from Kurumbu (2004) is considered as the first remix in a Tamil film, following which several composers began remixing Tamil film songs from the 1970s and 80s. He has experimented with the fusion of old songs with his own original compositions, mixing and incorporating parts of them into his songs.^[113] In 2010, he and his friend and fellow actor Silambarasan released the song "Evan Di Unna Pethan" from the film Vaanam (2011) as a single, which generated the trend of releasing single tracks from film soundtracks in Tamil cinema several months prior to the actual release,^[114][115] although the first ever single in Tamil cinema had been released in 2001 already.^[116]

Personal life[link]

Yuvan Shankar Raja married his longtime girlfriend Sujaya Chandran on 21 March 2005, at the Mayor Sri Ramanathan Chettiyar Hall in Chennai, India.^[117][118] Chandran had met him in 2002 as a fan at a music cultural program in London and both fell in love later.^[119] Chandran was a London-based singer and the daughter of Dr. C. R. Velayutham and Dr. Sarojini Chandran.^[120] 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.^[119] In August 2007, they filed for divorce with mutual consent, which was granted in February 2008, after 6 months.^[119][121] The reason for the divorce was cited to be "irreconcilable differences".^[121]

On 1 September 2011, he married Shilpa Mohan at the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh.^[122] The marriage was held in a simple ceremony with only family members and close friends being present.^[123] Shilpa was revealed to be a B.Pharm graduate from the University of Adelaide, Australia.^[124] A wedding reception was arranged a day later in Chennai.^[125]

Filmography[link]

Released soundtrack albums

^#Only soundtrack, film score composed by another composer

^#2Only film score, no soundtrack released

• The films are listed in order of the album release date, irrespective of the film release date.
• The year next to the title of the affected films indicates the release year of the either dubbed or remade version in the named language later than the original version.
• • indicates original language release. Indicates simultaneous makes, if featuring in more languages
• ♦ indicates a remade version, the remaining ones being dubbed versions

Forthcoming releases

• 2012 - Thanga Meengal ^[126]
• 2012 - Samar ^[127]
• 2012 - Aadhi Bhagavan ^[128]
• 2012 - Moondru Per Moondru Kaadhal^[129]
• 2012 - Vettai Mannan ^[130]
• 2012 - 2011 Bhagyaraj ^[131]
• 2012 - Bloody Paki
• 2012 - Sigaram Thodu
• 2012 - Vanavarayan Vallavarayan
• 2012 - Untitled Vishnuvardhan Project
• 2012 - All in All Azhagu Raja
• 2012 - Aadhalal Kadhal Seiveer
• 2012 - Briyani-A venkatprabhu Diet
• 2012 - untitled gautam menon film

Discography[link]

Singles[link]

• 2010 - "Evan Di Unna Pethan" (Promotional track for Vaanam)
• 2010 - "I'll Be There For You" (Promotional track for Yuvan - Live in Concert)
• 2011 - "Vilaiyaadu Mankatha" (Promotional track for Mankatha)
• 2011 - "Pappapappa" (Promotional track for Vettai)

Albums[link]

• 1999 - The Blast

Awards[link]

• Filmfare Best Music Director Award (Tamil) for 7G Rainbow Colony (2004)
• Filmfare Special Jury Award for Oy! (2009)
• Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Music Director for Pattiyal (2006)
• Cyprus International Film Festival Award For Best Musical Score Feature Film for Raam (2006)^[132]
• Vijay Award for Favourite Song for "En Kadhal Solla" (Paiyaa) (2010)^[133]
• Ananda Vikatan Award for Best Composer of the Year (2007)^[134]
• Ananda Vikatan Award for Best Male Playback Singer of the Year for "Neethane" (Sarvam) (2009)^[135]
• Big FM Tamil Entertainment Awards - Most Entertaining Music Director of the Year Award for Paiyaa (2011)^[136]
• Cinema Rasigargal Sangam Best Music Director Award for Billa (2007)^[137]
• CJA Cine Critics' Best Music Director Award for Kattradhu Thamizh (2007)^[138][139]
• GV South Indian Cinematographers Association (SICA) Best Music Director Award (2007)^[140]
• Isaiyaruvi Tamil Music Awards^[141][142]
  • Isaiyaruvi Album of the Year - Paruthiveeran (2007)
  • Isaiyaruvi Best Folk Song of the Year - "Oororam Puliyamaram" (Paruthiveeran) (2007)
  • Miranda Crazy Song of the Year - "Saroja Saamaan Nikalo" (Chennai 600028) (2007)
  • Isaiyaruvi Sensational Youth Album - Silambattam (2008)
  • Crazy Song of the Year - "Where Is The Party" (Silambattam) (2008)
  • Isaiyaruvi Best Remix Song of the Year - "Vechikkava" (Silambattam) (2008)
• Jayam Charitable Trust Film Music Awards^[143][144]
  • Best Sensational Musician (2007)
  • Best Singer of the Year Special Award for "Arabu Naade" (Thottal Poo Malarum) (shared with Haricharan) (2007)
• Medimix-Dinakaran Best Music Director Award for Manmadhan (2004)^[145]
• Mirchi Music Awards South
  • Mirchi Music Award for Best Music Composer of the Year for "Oru Kal Oru Kannadi" (Siva Manasula Sakthi) (2009)^[146][147]
  • Mirchi Music Award for Best Album of the Year for Paiyaa (2010)^[148]
  • Mirchi Music Award for Mirchi Listeners’ Choice – Best Song of the Year for "En Kadhal Solla" (Paiyaa) (2010)^[148]
  • Mirchi Music Award for Mirchi Listeners’ Choice – Best Album of the Year for Paiyaa (2010)^[148]
• Spell Bound Best Music Director Award for Vallavan (2006)^[149][150]
• Vijay Music Awards^[151][152]
  • Best Singer with the Maximum Hits of 2010
  • Popular Duet of the Year - "Idhu Varai" (Goa) (2011)
  • Popular Song sung by a Music Director – "En Kadhal Solla" (Paiyaa) (2011)
  • Mirchi Listeners Choice of the Year - "Thuli Thuli" (Paiyaa) (2011)