The final journey of veteran actor and Padma Shri awardee Sowcar Janaki will take place in Chennai on Saturday, with her last rites scheduled at the Besant Nagar Crematorium in the afternoon. The actor passed away at the age of 94 on Friday following age-related ailments, bringing the curtain down on a career that spanned more than seven decades.
According to her grandson-in-law Aravind, family members have gathered at her Chennai residence to pay their respects. Members of the public will be allowed to pay homage to the veteran actor from Saturday morning, following which the last rites will be conducted later in the day.
Born Sankaramanchi Janaki on December 12, 1931, the actor entered films with the Telugu drama Shavukaru in 1950, directed by LV Prasad. The film went on to give her the screen name by which she would become famous. Over the years, she established herself across Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam cinema, appearing in more than 400 films.
Her association with filmmaker K Balachander produced some of her most remembered performances. From Neerkumizhi and Edhir Neechal to Kaviya Thalaivi and Thillu Mullu, Janaki repeatedly demonstrated her ability to move between dramatic, comic and unconventional characters. Her career also included work in Hindi cinema.
Janaki was honoured with the Kalaimamani in 1969 and received the Padma Shri in 2022 for her contribution to Indian cinema and the arts. She was also the recipient of multiple state-level honours for her performances.
Her final Tamil film was R Kannan's Biskoth (2020), which was also her 400th film. She subsequently appeared in Telugu cinema in BV Nandini Reddy's Anni Manchi Sakunamule (2023), co-starring Santosh Sobhan and Malvika Nair.
With a body of work that crossed languages, genres and generations, Janaki leaves behind a legacy that extends well beyond her filmography. She is survived by three children, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
