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Veteran playback singer S Janaki, whose extraordinary voice became the soundtrack of generations across south India, died on July 11, Saturday, leaving behind a musical legacy that spanned nearly seven decades and transcended languages and regions. She was 88.
Her granddaughter, Apsara Vydyula, announced the singer's demise in a statement, saying Janaki “left us peacefully, surrounded by the love of her family.”
“While our hearts are heavy, we are also filled with gratitude for the extraordinary life she lived and the immeasurable joy she brought to millions through her timeless music. To the world, she was an iconic voice whose songs became part of countless memories. To us, she was a loving grandmother whose warmth, humility, kindness, and grace will remain with us forever,” she wrote in an Instagram post.
One of the most influential singers of the country, Janaki Amma, as she was often referred to, sang over 48,000 songs in 17 languages, including English, Sinhala, German, and Japanese. Debuting in 1957 with the Tamil film Vidhiyin Vilayattu, her illustrious musical career spanned over six decades. It is quite unbelievable to many that Janaki did not receive any formal musical training.
Janaki was born on 23 April 1938 in Pallapatla, of the then Madras Presidency, now in Andhra Pradesh. Her father, Sistla Sreeramamurthy, was an Ayurvedic doctor and teacher. Janaki first performed on-stage performance at the age of nine. She learnt the basics of music through a Nadaswaram vidwan, Paidiswamy. Janaki married V Ramprasad in 1959, and the couple have a son.
Musical journey
What distinguished Janaki was not just the number of songs she recorded, but also her extraordinary ability to inhabit a character through song. She could effortlessly transform her voice to sound like a child, a shy young woman, a village girl, an elderly character, or a sophisticated urban heroine, while conveying emotions ranging from innocence and longing to grief, playfulness, devotion, and sensuality. Her gift for voice modulation earned her the sobriquet “Queen of Expression,” and made her one of the most versatile playback singers Indian cinema has produced.
In Tamil, she sang in films including Ullagam Suttrum Valiban (1973), Aval Oru Thodar Kathai (1974), 16 Vayathinile (1977), Aval Appadithan (1978), Johnny (1980), Murattu Kaalai (1980), Thanikattu Raja (1982), Apoorva Sagodharargal (1989), Michael Madana Kama Rajan (1990), Gentleman (1993) and Mudhalvan (1999), among others.
Her Tamil audiences will remember her most for her many collaborations with maestro Illaiyaraaja. She has sung alongside stalwarts like SP Balasubramaniam, Yesudas, Malaysia Vasudevan, Mano, Kamal Haasan and more.
Referred to as Malayalam’s ‘dathu puthri’ or adopted daughter, Janaki sang several melodies that Malayalees cherish even today. Her first Malayalam film song was recorded in 1957 for the film Minnunnathellam Ponnalla. In 1970, Janaki received the Kerala government’s award for Best Female Playback singer, for the movie Sthree. Thereafter, she went on to win ten Kerala state awards for playback singing.
Songs such as ‘Thumbi Vaa’, ‘Unarunaroo’, ‘Thenum Vayambum’, ‘Sandhya Kanneerithenthe’, and ‘Naadha nee varum kalocha’ continue to occupy a cherished place in Kerala’s cultural memory.
In Telugu, which was her mother tongue, Janaki started her career in 1957 in the film M.L.A. Her songs in Bava Maradallu, Pooja Phalam and Bangaru Panjaram were immensely popular. Her streak continued throughout the 1960s and 70s, extending to the mid 90s. Janaki won 12 Nandi awards, 10 for films and two for television serial songs.
Janaki sang the most number of songs in her career in Kannada. Her first Kannada song was recorded in 1957. By the early 60s, she had started working with many prominent music composers and through the next few decades, she remained the go-to female playback singer in Kannada films. Veteran music directors like GK Venkatesh, Rajan–Nagendra, and Hamsalekha, among others, considered her their first option to offer some of their top compositions.
Recognitions and retirement
In 1986, she won the prestigious Kalaimamani Award from the Tamil Nadu government. Other accolades in her golden cap include the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award (1997), an honorary doctorate from the University of Mysore for contributions to Kannada Cinema (2009), and the Karnataka Rajyotsava award, the second-highest civilian award of the Karnataka state, by the Government of Karnataka (2014), among others.
She has won four National Awards for Best Female Playback Singer for ‘Chendoora poove’ in 16 Vayathinile (1977), ‘Ettumanoor ambalathil’ from Oppol (1981), ‘Vennello godari andham’ in Sitaara (1984), and ‘Inji iduppazhagha’ in Devar Magan (1992).
In 2013, Janaki declined the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honour, saying the recognition had come too late in her career and expressing disappointment that many south Indian artistes were often honoured only after long delays. Her decision sparked a wider conversation about the recognition accorded to artistes from southern India.
The veteran singer announced her retirement in 2016, saying she wanted to step away while her voice was still remembered at its best. Although she occasionally made exceptions for select recordings, she largely stayed away from studios and public performances thereafter. Her final concert was held in Mysuru in 2017.