Veteran
playback singer S. Janaki, fondly known as the Nightingale of South India, passed away on Saturday at a private hospital in Mysuru following age-related health complications. She was 88. Her family confirmed the news, with her granddaughter sharing an emotional note that the legendary singer passed away peacefully. The news of her demise has left cinema lovers deeply saddened, coming just weeks after the deaths of 1980s cinema legends Bharathiraja and K. Bhagyaraj. Here's a look at her remarkable legacy, her final song, and more about her personal life.
S. Janaki Passes Away: Cause of Death, Last Appearance, Family, and Final Song Details
S Janaki Early Life: Where was she born? Sistla Sreeramamurthy Janaki, better known as Janaki was born on 23 April 1938 in Guntur, Madras Province, British India (now in Andhra Pradesh, India). The legendary singer spent part of her childhood in the then-backward textile village Sircilla in the old Karimnagar district over six decades ago. Her father, was an Ayurvedic doctor and teacher. She got her first on-stage performance opportunity at the age of nine. She learnt the basics of music through a Nadaswaram vidwan, Paidiswamy. She never pursued any formal training in classical music.
S Janaki's Climb To FameS. Janaki made her playback singing debut in the Tamil film Vidhiyin Vilayattu. She began her journey in Telugu cinema in 1957 with MLA, where she sang the song Nee Aasa Adiyaasa. Over the years, she went on to become one of the most prolific playback singers in Indian cinema and is also credited with recording the highest number of songs in the Kannada film industry.
Spanning more than six decades, Janaki's illustrious career saw her record over 40,000 songs in nearly 20 Indian languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, Bengali, Odia, Tulu, Urdu, and Punjabi. Renowned for her extraordinary vocal range, emotional depth, and remarkable versatility, she is widely regarded as one of India's greatest playback singers. Her remarkable contribution to Indian music earned her four National Film Awards and 33 State Film Awards across various languages. Among S. Janaki's most celebrated songs are her timeless collaborations with composer Ilaiyaraaja, including
Inji Idupazhagi (Thevar Magan), Senthoora Poove (16 Vayathinile), and Kanmani Anbodu (Gunaa).S Janaki Padma Award ControversyIn 2013, S Janaki declined the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award, stating that the honour had come "too late" in her illustrious 55-year career. She also expressed disappointment over what she felt was inadequate recognition and representation of South Indian artists in the country's national honours.
About S Janaki's Family: Details of husband, death of son
S Janaki married V Ramprasad in 1959. A constant source of support throughout her career, Ramprasad encouraged her musical journey and accompanied her to many of her recording sessions. He passed away in 1997 after suffering a cardiac arrest. The couple had one son, Murali Krishna, who grew up in a family rooted in music. Murali later married Chennai-based dancer Uma, and the couple had two daughters before eventually divorcing. He passed away earlier this year following a cardiac arrest.
S Janaki's Final Public Appearance and Final Song
S Janaki made a brief yet memorable appearance in the acclaimed romantic drama '96, directed by Prem Kumar and starring Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha. Her final concert was held in Mysuru in 2017, marking the end of an illustrious live performance career.Her last Tamil song was
Thandhaiyum Yaaro from the Jiiva and Nayanthara starrer Thirunaal, composed by Srikanth Deva. In her later years, S Janaki largely stayed away from the public eye, making only a handful of appearances. One of her final public videos featured singer Sunitha, who visited the legendary vocalist to spend time with her.
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