S Janaki lent her voice to many songs from Kamal Haasan films, including 'Unnai Naan' and 'Kanmani Anbodu Kadhalan' from Gunaa, 'Sendhoora Poove' from 16 Vayathinile, and 'Ponmeni Uruguthey' from Moondram Pirai. Besides, Kamal sang 'Nanaivo Oru Paravai' from director Bharathiraja's 1978 film Sigappu Rojakkal along with Janaki.
At a Jaya TV event many years ago, Kamal shared an anecdote explaining how he landed an opportunity to sing with Janaki. The superstar said that he sang Harry Nilsson's track 'One is the loneliest number' at a Cinema Express function. Kamal Haasan added that he chose to sang it because he could render it with a loud voice, just as how English singers would.
As fate would have it, Sigappu Rojakkal composer Ilaiyaraaja was among the attendees of the event.
"I sang it not knowing that Raja was sitting in the front row," Kamal said. "He asked me, 'What were you doing, singing loudly, yesterday?' I asked him whether he heard it, and he was like, 'Yes, I did, and it was good.'" Kamal's rendition of the English song impressed Ilaiyaraaja so much that he asked the superstar to lend his voice for a track in the film.
While Kamal initially expressed his skepticism for it, Ilaiyaraaja encouraged him to sing similarly to how he rendered the Harry Nilsson song. While 'Nanaivo Oru Paravai' is mostly different from Harry Nilsson's song, the 'pa pa pa' humming in it is inspired by the latter track.
Janaki passed away on July 11 following a prolonged battle with age-related health issues. At the time of her death, Kamal paid her a heartfelt tribute. "The song will keep echoing forever. Mother, where will I go to find that love again? Many people carry a sorrow they can never lay down. My deepest condolences to all of them," Kama wrote in his tribute.
