| Alias | Karthik |
|---|---|
| Age | 44 years |
| Height | 5'8" |
| Weight | 69.00 Kgs |
| Occupation | Music Director, Singer |
| Language Worked in | Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam |
| Spouse | Raja Rajeswari |
| Birth Place | Tamil Nadu, India |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Education | He did his schooling from St. Bede's School in Chennai. Graduated from Loyo |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Parents | Ilaiyaraaja, Jeeva |
| Brothers | Yuvan Shankar Raja |
| Sisters | 10524 |
| Favourite Actors | 10524 |
| Favourite Actresses | 10524 |
| Favourite Cuisine | South Indian |
| Favourite Color | White |
| City | Chennai |
Karthik Raja is the eldest son of musician Mastro Ilaiyaraaja and Jeeva. His brother Yuvan Shankar Raja and sister Bhavatharini, who are also Tamil Film music directors and playback singers, have worked with him on notable projects. He did his schooling from St. Bede's School in Chennai. Graduated from Loyola College Chennai. On June 8, 2000, Karthik Raja married Raja Rajeswari at Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Born to a family of musicians, he had exposure various kinds of music at a very early age.[citation needed] He had his formal training in Western Classical music from the Trinity School of Music, mainly in piano (affiliated to Jacob John).[citation needed] He also had training in Carnatic music from T. V. Gopalakrishnan and Dakshina Murthy Swami.[citation needed] To this day he derives most of his inspiration from classical music (Western and Indian) and jazz.
He debuted as a full fledged composer in 1996 through the Tamil movie Alexander, soon followed by Manikyam. Then came many chart-busters that included Ullaasam, Naam Iruvar Nammaku Iruvar, Kadhala Kadhala and Dumm Dumm Dumm among others. He also debuted into Hindi films with Grahan which won him the R D Burman award for the best new talent.