Veteran playback singer S Janaki passed away on Saturday at the age of 88 in Mysuru after battling age-related ailments. She breathed her last at Apollo Hospital, bringing down the curtain on one of the greatest careers in Indian music. Fondly called the “Nightingale of South India”, Janaki’s death has left the film industry and music lovers across the country in mourning. S Janaki enjoyed a career spanning more than six decades and recorded nearly 48,000 songs in over 20 languages, making her one of the most prolific playback singers in Indian cinema.
She worked with legendary composers including MS Viswanathan, KV Mahadevan, Ilaiyaraaja, Rajan-Nagendra, Chakravarthy, Keeravani and AR Rahman. Her timeless songs in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada continue to be cherished across generations. She won four National Film Awards, numerous State Awards, including 12 Nandi Awards, and several lifetime achievement honours. Born in Andhra Pradesh, Janaki made her playback debut in 1957 and went on to become the voice behind countless evergreen melodies. Songs like “Singaravelane Deva,” “Govullu Tellana,” “Pagale Vennela,” “Nee Leela Paadeda Deva” and hundreds of others established her as one of India’s finest singers. Her duets with S.P. Balasubrahmanyam and compositions by Ilaiyaraaja defined an era of South Indian film music.
Janaki announced her retirement from playback singing in 2016 after an extraordinary journey. She had also declined the Padma Bhushan in 2013, stating that the honour had come too late and that South Indian artists deserved greater recognition. Despite retiring from films, her songs continued to remain a part of concerts, television shows and music platforms. Rest in peace Legend.
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