(This article is authored by Alar)

The legendary music composer Ilaiyaraaja shared a nostalgic photo of his daughter Bhavatharini, who passed away on Thursday after a long battle with cancer. The photo, posted on his X account, shows a young Bhavatharini smiling with her father, who is holding an album and wearing headphones. The caption reads, “Dear daughter” in Tamil, expressing his grief and love for his child.

Bhavatharini, who was also a renowned singer, was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and underwent Ayurvedic treatment in Sri Lanka for five months. However, her condition did not improve and she unfortunately passed away at the age of 47.

Her mortal remains were brought back to Chennai on Friday and her final rites will be performed today. The film industry and fans are mourning the loss of Bhavatharini, who had sung many memorable songs in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi. She had also composed music for few films and won the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer in 2000 for the film Bharathi.

She was the youngest of Ilaiyaraaja’s three children, who are all musicians. Bhavatharini’s demise has left a void in the hearts of her family, friends and fans, who leaving heartfelt condolences on social media. Kamal Hassan wrote, "My heart aches. I don’t know how to console my beloved brother Ilaiyaraaja. I will hold his hands through this. Bhavatharini’s death cannot be tolerated or accepted. Ilaiyaraaja shouldn’t give up dealing with this huge loss. My heartfelt condolences to Bhavatharini’s family."

அன்பு மகளே... pic.twitter.com/GgtnKGyvQ1

— Ilaiyaraaja (@ilaiyaraaja) January 26, 2024