Sowcar Janaki, one of South Indian cinema’s most respected and enduring actors, has passed away at the age of 94.

The news was officially confirmed in a statement by Nadigar Sangam President and actor Nasser. The veteran star breathed her last on Friday afternoon at 1.59 pm. Her mortal remains will be kept for public homage at Cenotaph Road in Teynampet, Chennai, from 5 pm onwards to allow fans, colleagues and well-wishers to pay their final respects.

A lasting legacy in Malayalam cinema

While Janaki enjoyed a prolific career spanning several languages, Malayalam cinema audiences hold a fond appreciation for her memorable screen presence. She made her debut in Malayalam cinema with the 1964 landmark film School Master.

Among her most celebrated roles in Kerala was her performance in the classic drama Soorya Manasam, where she delivered a poignant portrayal as Mariya, the mother of 'Putturumees', an iconic character played by Mammootty. She also gave a notable performance in the acclaimed Malayalam film Pappu.

A stellar multilingual career

Born Sankaramanchi Janaki to a Kannada-speaking family in Rajamahendravaram, Andhra Pradesh, her career spanned decades across Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam cinema. She earned the prefix 'Sowcar' following her breakthrough role in the 1950 Telugu film Sowcar, directed by L V Prasad.

She went on to achieve several historic milestones across languages:

  • Tamil debut: Made her entry into Tamil cinema with T.R. Sundaram’s Valayapathi (1952).

  • Kannada trailblazer: Debuted in Kannada with Devakannika (1954) and later starred alongside Dr Rajkumar in Mahishasura Mardhini (1959), widely considered Kannada cinema's first pan-Indian film.

  • Television transition: Entered television in 1991 with Doordarshan's Tamil serial Oorarindha Rahasiyam, with her final TV appearance coming in the 2013 Zee Telugu serial Varudhini Parinayam.

Her final film appearances included the 2020 Tamil parody Biskoth and the 2023 Telugu film Anni Manchi Sakunamule. In recognition of her remarkable contributions to Indian cinema, she was awarded the country's fourth-highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri, in 2022.

Personal life

Janaki was married at a very young age in 1947 to Sankaramanchi Srinivasa Rao and briefly worked as a Radio Jockey for All India Radio, Madras. Demonstrating remarkable grit, she sat her matriculation examinations whilst pregnant and later earned her university degree from Gauhati University in Assam. Her younger sister, Krishna Kumari, and granddaughter, Vaishnavi Aravind, both followed in her footsteps and pursued careers in acting. Her children are Yagna Prabha Koty, Venkataramana Sankaramanchi and Sachi Rao.