Leaving the film and music fraternities in utter shock, veteran composer Raj of the Raj-Koti duo breathed his last due to a cardiac arrest on Sunday (May 21). Raj aka Thotakura Somaraju was just 68 years old and is survived by his wife and three daughters. His last rites were performed at Maha Prasthanam in Jubilee Hills. Several celebrities from the film industry condoled Raj’s untimely demise.
This afternoon, popular composer AR Rahman took to Twitter and shared a picture of Raj along with a heartfelt tribute to him. “Rest in peace Somaraju Garu …I can never forget the pleasant memories working with Raj-koti in the 80s,” Rahman tweeted. It’s well known that before he branched out as an independent composer, Rahman had worked with the Raj-Koti duo as a keyboard player and programmer for 8 years.
Rahman shared a great bond with Raj-Koti. In several interviews, he stated that Raj and Koti were like his close friends. Even Raj and Koti had expressed their happiness when Rahman won the prestigious Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire.
