Music composer Raj passes away 

Thotakura Somaraju alias Raj, the one-half of the famed Raj-Koti music director duo, passed away in Hyderabad this Sunday due to a heart attack. He was 68. The composer, who has prominently worked through the 80s and the 90s, suffered a bad fall in the bathroom and immediately had a cardiac arrest due to shock, collapsing on the bathroom floor. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was declared dead. Raj is survived by his wife and their three daughters, Deepthi, Divya and Swetha. 

Raj’s father, Thotakura Venkataraju, was a music director himself, notably working on many of NTR Sr’s films, including Sri Krishna Pandaveeyam (1966) and Nindu Hrudayalu (1969). After working together under music director K Chakravarthi, Raj went on to collaborate with Koti (Saluri Koteswara Rao). The duo’s first film together was Pralaya Garjana (1982). They went on to work in 180 films over the last 13 years, composing more than 3000 songs. Out of these 3000 songs, around 2500 songs were sung by SP Balasubrahmanyam and KS Chithra. Some of their well-known albums from that time include Yamudiki Mogudu (1988), Jayammu Nishchayammu Ra (1989), Khaidi No 786 (1988), Bava Bamaridi (1993), Muta Mestri (1993) and Hello Brother (1994). For their work in Hello Brother, the duo has won the Nandi Award for Best Music Direction. AR Rahman and Mani Sharma have also worked under Raj-Koti in the nascent stages of their career as programmers. Raj and Koti split up amicably in 1995, citing creative differences. Sisindri (1995) is the only well-known album of Raj as a solo composer. He composed music till 2002 before leaving the industry altogether. 

Raj’s last rites will take place in Maha Prasthanam, Hyderabad, on Monday.