Veteran actress Sowcar Janaki (94) passed away in Chennai on Friday! She was admitted in a hospital in Chennai and was undergoing treatment for age-related issues.
Nadigar Sangam President Nassar and actor Nassar had confirmed the development through an official statement. He described her as a legendary star and announced that her mortal remains would be kept at Centoph Road in Teynampet from 5 PM allowing fans, friends and members of the film fraternity to pay their last respects.
Over seven decades of career
A pioneer in natural acting, Janaki has left behind a monumental legacy as one of Indian cinema’s finest leading ladies. She began her stellar acting journey with breakthrough role in her debut film Sowcar (1950) itself. The film was a hit and the actress has since been called Sowcar Janaki. Between 1949 and 1975, she became a prominent actress with blockbusters in various languages.
In a career spanning over seven decades, Sowcar Janaki has worked in over 400 movies in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam cinema. Some of Sowcar Janaki’s notable Telugu films include Rojulu Marayi, Jayam Manade, , Kanyasulkam, Panduranga Mahatyam, Doctor Chakravarty, , Badi Panthulu, Akka Chellelu, Samsaram Oka Chadarangam and Tayaramma Bangarayya. Her last film appearance was in the Telugu movie, Anni Manchi Sakunamule.
Awards and recognitions
Apart from several state awards, Sowcar Janaki was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022. She also won Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South for outstanding contributions to South Indian cinema. She was also the recipient of multiple accolades including Nandi Awards and a Kalaimamani Award.
Born as Sankaramanchi Janaki in 1931 in Rajahmundry, East Godavari district, she entered the entertainment industry as a radio artist. Before making her film debut, she also performed in more than 300 stage plays. Janaki was the elder sister to celebrated actress is Krishna Kumari who passed away in 2018.
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