Veteran playback singer S. Janaki, fondly known as the "Nightingale of South India," passed away at the age of 88 in Mysore. Following the news of her demise, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay, along with actors Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, and Chiranjeevi, paid heartfelt tributes to the legendary singer.
Vijay expressed his grief in a post on X, stating, "The passing of legendary playback singer Mrs. S. Janaki, whose distinctive voice touched the hearts of generations in the Indian film music industry, is deeply saddening (sic)." He further described her death as an irreplaceable loss to Indian music and extended his heartfelt condolences to her family, the film fraternity, fellow musicians, and fans worldwide, praying for her soul to rest in peace.
Rajinikanth also shared a tribute on X, writing, "May the soul of the singer whose honey-sweet voice brought joy to generations rest in peace (sic)." Kamal Haasan remembered her with an emotional message, saying, "Her songs will continue to echo forever. Where can I seek that love, Mother? This is an immeasurable loss for many. My deepest sympathies to all who are grieving (sic)."
Chiranjeevi described the news of her passing as deeply heartbreaking. In his tribute, he reflected on how Janaki’s extraordinary voice brought life to countless memorable songs throughout his film career, adding that her contribution to cinema would remain timeless. He concluded his message by saying, "Janakamma garu... your voice is immortal. Om Shanti (sic)."
Popularly known as Janaki Amma, she declined the Padma Bhushan in 2013, India's third-highest civilian honour. She believed that her lifelong contributions to Indian music deserved the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian award, and felt that the recognition had come too late.
Throughout her illustrious career, Janaki received four National Film Awards and an impressive 33 State Film Awards across various Indian states.
Family Background
S. Janaki was born on April 23, 1938, in Pallapatla, Repalle Taluka, Guntur, then part of the Madras Presidency under British India, now in Andhra Pradesh. Her father, Sistla Sreeramamurthy, was both an Ayurvedic physician and a teacher. She spent much of her childhood in Sircilla and made her stage debut at the age of nine. Although she learned the basics of music from Nadaswaram artist Paidiswamy, she never underwent formal training in classical music.
In 1959, she married V. Ramprasad, who strongly supported her career and accompanied her to most recording sessions. He passed away in 1997 after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Though Telugu was her native language, Janaki was fluent in Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi, with the ability to both speak and write in all of them.
Playback Singing Career
Janaki began her playback singing journey at just 19 with the Tamil film Vidhiyin Vilayattu (1957). Remarkably, she recorded songs in six different languages within the same year. Her extraordinary career lasted for more than six decades before she officially retired from film recordings and live performances in 2016. However, she briefly returned in 2018 to sing for the Tamil film Pannaadi, bringing a fitting close to an exceptional 60-year musical legacy.
