Yuvan Shankar Raja arrives at Madurai to attend his sister's funeral

MADURAI: Veteran composer Ilaiyaraaja's daughter, Bhavatharini, died of cancer on January 25. Yuvan Shankar Raja, Ilayaraja's son and Bhavatharini's brother, arrived at Madurai airport to attend his sister's funeral rites.

The body of music maestro Bhavatharini's daughter and playback vocalist will be preserved in Ilaiyaraaja's home in Gudalur, Theni. Friends and relatives are expected to pay homage to her at his house. Bhavatharini, who was also a playback vocalist and music director, died at the age of 47. She breathed her last on Thursday in Sri Lanka, where she was undergoing treatment for cancer.

After learning about the demise of Bhavatharini, veteran actor Kamal Haasan took to Twitter and expressed his heartfelt condolences on Friday.

"I don't know what to do with my dear brother Ilayaraja. I grab his hands mentally. Pavadarini's demise is something that cannot be tolerated or accepted. My brother Ilayaraja should not lose heart in this greatness. My heartfelt condolences to the family of Bhavadharini," Haasan wrote. On Friday, her mortal remains were brought to Ilaiyaraaja's home in Chennai from Sri Lanka.

A day after her death, Ilaiyaraaja posted a picture on X with his late daughter. Bhavatharini received the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for her performance of the song 'Mayil Pola Ponnu Onnu' from the film 'Bharathi,' which was composed by her father Ilaiyaraaja. Bhavatharini is survived by her husband, father Ilaiyaraaja, and brothers, Karthik Raja and Yuvan Shankar Raja.