Chennai: Veteran playback singer S Janaki, known as ‘Nightingale of South India’, died at the age of 88 in Mysore.
In a storied career spanning six decades, Janaki sang over 48,000 songs in films, albums, television and radio in 20 Indian languages, including Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, Sanskrit, Odia, Tulu, Urdu, Punjabi, Badaga, Bengali, Konkani. She also recorded songs in English, Japanese, German and Sinhala.
One of the most versatile singers in India, Janaki commenced her playback career at the age of 19 with the Tamil film ‘Vidhiyin Vilayattu’ in 1957. The same year, she recorded tracks in six different languages.
Also known as Janaki Amma, she was presented four National Film Awards and 33 different State Film Awards.
She announced her retirement from film recordings and live stage performances in 2016. She briefly came out of retirement in 2018 to lend her voice to the Tamil film ‘Pannaadi’.
She will also be remembered for turning down the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honour, in 2013.
The reason was that Janaki felt she should have been considered for the Bharat Ratna, the nation’s highest civilian award. She stated that the recognition was long overdue given her extensive contributions to Indian music.
CM Vijay, Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan pay tributes
Tributes flowed in for Janaki, with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay calling her death an ‘irreparable’ loss.
“The passing of Mrs S Janaki, the legendary playback singer who has won the hearts of multiple generations with her unique voice in the Indian film music world, brings immense sorrow. Her demise is an irreplaceable loss to the Indian music world. I convey my deepest condolences and sympathies to her grieving family, the film fraternity, music artists, and her fans across the globe. I pray for her soul to attain peace.”
Veteran actors Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan and Chiranjeevi paid emotional tributes to Janaki.
Rajinikanth’s post on X read: “May her soul, who delighted generations of people with her honey-sweet voice, attain peace.”
Kamal Haasan wrote: “The song will forever keep resounding. Where shall I seek that love, Mother? An inconsolable sorrow exists for many. My deepest condolences to them all.”
Chiranjeevi said Janaki had an ‘unparalleled’ voice. “The news of Janakamma garu’s passing has deeply shaken my heart. In my cinematic journey, she lent her unparalleled voice to countless unforgettable songs. It was her voice that breathed life into the many emotions we brought to life on screen. Janakamma garu… your voice is immortal. Om Shanti.”
