S Janaki laid to rest with state honours in Mysuru; Kerala pays final tribute

Mysuru: Kerala joined the rest of the country in bidding a final farewell to legendary playback singer S. Janaki, who was laid to rest with full state honours at her farmhouse in Haniyuhundi, near Mysuru, on Sunday.

Representing the Kerala government, Higher Education Minister Roji M. John paid floral tributes during the public viewing at Mysuru Maharaja Grounds. Describing Janaki as a rare musical talent who united generations through her voice, the minister said her contributions to Indian music, transcending linguistic boundaries, would be remembered forever.

Thousands of admirers, alongside musicians, political leaders and members of the film fraternity, gathered at the grounds from Sunday morning to pay their last respects. Karnataka Minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah represented the state government during the funeral proceedings.

Following the public viewing, Janaki's mortal remains were taken to her farmhouse in Haniyuhundi, where the funeral rites began at around 5 pm. Fulfilling her final wish, the legendary singer was laid to rest in Mysuru. Her granddaughter, Apsara, performed the last rites in the presence of family members, friends and dignitaries, including singer K.S. Chithra.

S. Janaki passed away at Apollo Hospital in Mysuru on Saturday evening after being admitted earlier in the day with respiratory complications. She was shifted to the intensive care unit after her condition deteriorated and was declared dead at around 7.30 pm. She had reportedly been taken to hospital after feeling dizzy at her residence in Bogadi.

Following the death of her only son, Muralikrishna, in January, Janaki had been living with her granddaughter Apsara in Mysuru. She is survived by her daughter-in-law, Uma.

Widely regarded as one of India's greatest playback singers, Janaki's career spanned more than six decades, during which she recorded an estimated 48,000 songs. Celebrated as the "Nightingale of South India", she sang in 17 Indian languages, including Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, Odia, Bengali, Marathi, Tulu, Urdu, Gujarati, Sanskrit, Badaga, Punjabi, Konkani and Assamese. She also recorded songs in Sinhala, English, German and Japanese.

Born on 23 April 1938 in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, Janaki began singing at the age of three and received formal training until she was ten. Her first recorded film song was for the unreleased Tamil film Vidhiyin Vilaiyaattu, while her first released film song was Nee Aasa Adiyaasa from the Telugu film M.L.A.. She made her Malayalam debut in 1957 with Irul Moodukayo En Vaazhvil from Minnunnathellam Ponalla. Besides playback singing, she also composed music and wrote lyrics for Tamil and Telugu films.

Her extraordinary contribution to Indian cinema earned her four National Film Awards—for Pathinaru Vayathinile (1977), Oppol (1981), Sitaara (1984) and Thevar Magan (1992)—along with 33 state awards, including 11 Kerala State Film Awards, seven from Tamil Nadu and ten from Andhra Pradesh.

Among her many honours were the Tamil Nadu government's Kalaimamani Award (1986), the Sur Singer Award (1987), the Cinema Archive Award from Kerala (2002) and the Swaralaya Yesudas Special Jury Award (2005). In 2013, she declined the Padma Bhushan, saying national recognition had come too late in her career.

Though she retired from playback singing in 2016 and spent her final years away from the public eye, S. Janaki's voice continues to resonate across generations. Her songs, cherished by millions irrespective of language, remain an enduring part of India's musical heritage.