Harris Jayaraj, Music Composer
Music Composer

Harris Jayaraj

Born 8 January 1975 · Tamil Nadu

Composed the soundtrack for the Tamil film Minnale, which won critical acclaim in 2001.

Harris Jayaraj is an Indian composer from Tamil Nadu. He composes soundtracks predominantly for Tamil films, and has also composed for a few films in Telugu. He has also worked on a few Hindi films that were remakes of his Tamil films.

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A detail that
surprised us

“

Harris Jayaraj scored the highest mark in Asia on his 4th grade Trinity College London classical guitar exam, a rare accolade for an Indian film composer.

The Story

1
🎸 In 1975, Harris Jayaraj was born in Chennai into a family deeply rooted in music; by age six, he was already receiving formal Carnatic music training, setting a foundation few start so early.
2
By the late 1990s, Harris had worked on over 600 film projects across seven Indian languages as a music programmer, collaborating with giants like A. R. Rahman before launching his own composing career.
3🏆 In 2001, Harris won his first Filmfare Award South, kicking off a streak where he would claim six such awards and more than twenty nominations, marking his rise in Tamil cinema.
4His father, S. M. Jayakumar, a noted film guitarist who worked with legends like M.S. Viswanathan and S.P. Balasubramaniam, influenced Harris to master the classical guitar, achieving the highest marks in Asia for his Trinity College London Grade 4 exam.

🏅 Awards & Honours

—
Filmfare Awards South

🔍 One thing most people don't know

“

Harris Jayaraj began formal Carnatic music training at age six, which is unusually early for someone who later became known for film music composition blending classical and electronic styles.

🖼️

Through the Years

5 photographs from the archives
Harris Jayaraj posing at his studio lawn during a portfolio shoot (2009).
Harris Jayaraj posing at his studio lawn during a portfolio shoot (2009).
2009
Harris Jayaraj performing live with his team in Coimbatore (2012).
Harris Jayaraj in Rome during the composing session for 'Maatraan' (2012).
Harris Jayaraj with Javed Akhtar and singers at the 'Force' recording session (2012).
Harris Jayaraj attending the Gethu audio launch event (2015).

🗓️ A Life in Moments

🕊️
Birth
Born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Harris Jayaraj was born into a musically inclined Tamil family in Chennai, setting the stage for his future in film music.
1975
📚
Education
Begins Carnatic music training
At age six, Harris began formal training in Carnatic music, grounding his understanding of classical Indian music.
1981
🌟
Other
Scores highest mark in Asia for Trinity College exam
Harris achieved the highest mark in Asia on the Grade 4 classical guitar exam from Trinity College London, confirming his musical prowess early on.
1990
⚡
Career
Works as programmer on 600+ projects
By 1999, Harris had programmed music for over 600 films across multiple Indian languages, gaining extensive industry experience.
1999
🏅
Award
Wins first Filmfare Award South
Harris Jayaraj won his first Filmfare Award South, marking his emergence as a prominent film composer in Tamil cinema.
2001
🏅
Award
Honorary Doctorate of Letters awarded
Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute honored Harris Jayaraj with a Doctorate of Letters for his contributions to Tamil cinema music.
2019
More moments to come...
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🗝️Discoveries

Swipe to uncover hidden stories
01 / 04
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

Before becoming a film composer, Harris worked as a music programmer on over 600 projects across Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Marathi, Punjabi, and Oriya films by the year 2000.

02 / 04
👤PERSONAL

His father collaborated with iconic singers like T. M. Soundararajan and K. J. Yesudas, giving Harris unique exposure to multiple South Indian music legends from childhood.

03 / 04
💡SURPRISING

Harris’s mastery of synthesizers and programming was entirely self-taught, using a Roland MC-500 sequencer, which was uncommon at a time when formal music education focused less on electronic instruments.

No quote recorded for Harris Jayaraj yet.

🎙️ Speeches & Recordings

These recordings preserve the legacy of Bharat's icons
Music Director Harris Jayaraj Exclusive Interview | Harris Jayaraj 25 Years Celebrations | ABN
More from this archive
Music Director Harris Jayaraj Exclusive Interview | Harris Jayaraj 25 Years Celebrations | ABN
01
Music Director Harris Jayaraj Exclusive Interview | Harris Jayaraj 25 Years Celebrations | ABN
“Rejected 10 Vijay Films & Got Scolded for Buying Instruments” - The SS Podcast ft. Harris Jayaraj
02
“Rejected 10 Vijay Films & Got Scolded for Buying Instruments” - The SS Podcast ft. Harris Jayaraj
Harris Jayaraj 50 | Special Interview with Music Director Harris | May Day Specials | Kalaignar TV
03
Harris Jayaraj 50 | Special Interview with Music Director Harris | May Day Specials | Kalaignar TV
Harris-ன் Gap-க்கு பின் இப்படி ஒரு காரணமா😮 பலவருட ரகசியத்தை போட்டுடைச்ச Moment! Shocking Interview
04
Harris-ன் Gap-க்கு பின் இப்படி ஒரு காரணமா😮 பலவருட ரகசியத்தை போட்டுடைச்ச Moment! Shocking Interview
Harris Jayaraj's Harmony | Interview
05
Harris Jayaraj's Harmony | Interview
Harris Jayaraj FIRSt ever interview in Hyderabad || NTVENT
06
Harris Jayaraj FIRSt ever interview in Hyderabad || NTVENT
Music Director Harris Jayaraj Exclusive Interview | TeluguOne Cinema
07
Music Director Harris Jayaraj Exclusive Interview | TeluguOne Cinema
Harris Jayaraj 50 | Special Interview with Music Director Harris | May Day Specials | Kalaignar TV
08
Harris Jayaraj 50 | Special Interview with Music Director Harris | May Day Specials | Kalaignar TV
Vijay-வோட 10 படங்களுக்கு Music பண்ணமாட்டேனு சொல்லிட்டேன்... Harris Jayaraj
09
Vijay-வோட 10 படங்களுக்கு Music பண்ணமாட்டேனு சொல்லிட்டேன்... Harris Jayaraj
Irumugan படத்துக்காக Flight-ல வச்சு அவசரமா Music போட்டேன்... Harris Jayaraj
10
Irumugan படத்துக்காக Flight-ல வச்சு அவசரமா Music போட்டேன்... Harris Jayaraj

🌱 What changed because of them

Harris Jayaraj’s work redefined Tamil film music by integrating classical Carnatic elements with modern electronic synthesizers, influencing a generation of composers. His success encouraged more widespread adoption of digital music programming in South Indian cinema. The honorary doctorate he received in 2019 underscored his role in elevating Tamil film music to an academic and cultural discourse.

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