Karthik Raja, born on June 29, 1973, is an acclaimed Indian composer based in Chennai. He hails from a family of musicians, being the eldest son of the legendary music composer Ilaiyaraaja. His siblings, Yuvan Shankar Raja and Bhavatharini, are also renowned figures in the Tamil film music industry.

Karthik Raja's lifestyle is deeply rooted in music. From a very early age, he was exposed to various kinds of music. He had his formal training in Western classical music from the Trinity School of Music, mainly in piano. He also received training in Carnatic music from T. V. Gopalakrishnan and Malayalam composer, V. Dakshinamoorthy. As a child, he often accompanied his father to recording studios. His passion for music is evident in his lifestyle and work.

Karthik Raja made his debut as a film composer in the Tamil film Pandiyan in 1992. He went on to score music for many critically and commercially acclaimed feature films. His career took off as a fully-fledged composer in 1996 with the Tamil movie Alexander, followed by Manikkam. He has composed chart-busters for films like Ullaasam, Naam Iruvar Nammaku Iruvar, Kadhala Kadhala, and Dumm Dumm Dumm. He also debuted in Hindi films with Grahan, which won him the R.D. Burman award for the best new talent.

Karthik Raja was born into a family of musicians. His father, Ilaiyaraaja, is a maestro in the music of the Tamil film industry. His brother, Yuvan Shankar Raja, and sister, Bhavatharini, are also well-known Tamil film music directors and playback singers. On June 8, 2000, Karthik Raja married Raja Rajeswari at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Karthik Raja has scored music for numerous films. Some of his notable works include Alexander, Manikkam, Ullaasam, Naam Iruvar Nammaku Iruvar, Kadhala Kadhala, and Dumm Dumm Dumm. His music has been a significant part of many critically and commercially successful films.

Karthik Raja's exceptional talent has been recognized with several awards. He won the R.D. Burman award for the best new talent for his work in the Hindi film Grahan. His contributions to the field of music have been widely appreciated and celebrated.