As the son of guitarist and session musician S.M. Jayakumar, Harris Jayaraj was introduced to the classical guitar as a child. But it was when he turned his talents to the keyboard that he became fascinated with the synthesizer—an interest and dedication that led him to work as a programmer for some of the biggest composers in Tamil film music, including A.R. Rahman, Karthik Raja, Yuvan Shankar Raja and Mani Sharma. That experience stood him in good stead when he branched out as a composer in his own right, composing the music and background score for Gautham Vasudev Menon’s 2001 film Minnale. The soundtrack’s blend of traditional Tamil folk with contemporary pop, rock, hip-hop and dance music earned Jayaraj the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director (Tamil), breaking A.R. Rahman’s consecutive nine-year run in that category. It was the first of Jayaraj’s six Filmfare wins, along with plenty of other awards, showing that it’s not only the fans but also the critics who appreciate his multiple and diverse hits in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. Over the years, the Chennai-born artist has developed a sound that is instantly recognisable—impeccable production, minor chords, a cosmopolitan sonic palette—and frequently on point with contemporary trends, as evidenced by the folk-jazz of “Kumari”, from 2005 film Anniyan, and the R&B-rap extravagance of “Honey Honey” on the soundtrack for 2022’s Ayan.