Popular music composer Ilaiyaraja's younger son, Yuvan Shankar Raja, has converted to Islam.

Yuvan Shankar Raja announces something very personal, when he tweeted that he is now following Islam, and dismissing rumors about him getting married for the third time, Yes I’m following Islam and “Alhamdulillah” I'm proud about it. My family really supports my decision and there’s no misunderstanding between me and my dad. Yuvan was actually very attached to his mother and soon after she passed away, he started missing her a lot. He also met a spiritual guru, but we cannot say what exactly made him follow Islam," and maintained that, he was definitely not inspired by fellow composer AR Rahman (who had converted to Islam) in his decision. Yuvan, has been practicing Islam for almost a year now. He has been offering Namaz five times a day all these months. He is not missing his prayers even when he is at work and ensures that he allocates time for it at his studio as well. Yuvan is now in the process of converting to Islam.

Presently he’s planning to convert to Islam and is also thinking of going for a change of name. But, he is yet to decide on these. Since it is his personal decision, his family members respect it. I’ve embraced Islam because it gives me much needed inner peace and absolutely there’s no need to hide it.  Yuvan said No one insisted or recommended me to embrace Islam, in fact I didn’t choose Islam it was Islam that chose me. Initially I got some random dreams very often and I didn’t have any clue on it, later on I found out that I am experiencing spirituality. When I started reading “Holy Quran” I got answers for those dreams which I was experiencing, so I’ll accept that it was Islam that chose me.

Yuvan got married to his longtime friend Sujaya in 2005. But unhappily they got divorced in 2007. Then in 2011, he married again to Shilpa, but the second marriage also went through turbulence. At first his father Ilaiyaraaja was stunned but later on he understood my decision and at the end of the day he wants me to be happy. Even Karthik Raja and Bhavatharini have understood my decision and we’re good as a family.