Legendary playback singer S. Janaki, whose soulful voice shaped generations of Indian film music, passed away at a private hospital in Mysore on Saturday. She was 88. Her granddaughter announced her demise through a social media post, marking the end of an illustrious musical journey spanning six decades.
Though Janaki made her playback debut in the Tamil film Vidhiyin Vilayattu in 1957, she began singing for Malayalam cinema the same year and went on to become one of its most celebrated voices. Her flawless pronunciation and mastery of the language won the hearts of Malayali audiences, making her the leading female playback singer in Malayalam films from the 1970s onward.
She worked with legendary composers including V. Dakshinamoorthy, M.S. Baburaj, Shyam, M.B. Sreenivasan, A.T. Ummer and Salil Chowdhury. Timeless songs such as Thumbi Vaa Thumbakudathin, Oru Vattam Koodiyen, Thenum Vayambum, Sooryakaanthi and Aadi Vaa Katte remain cherished classics. Even in the later years of her career, she continued to captivate audiences with memorable performances.
Janaki won her first Kerala State Film Award in 1970 and dominated the category for nearly 15 years. During a remarkable career from 1957 to 2017, she recorded more than 48,000 songs in 20 languages, earning four National Film Awards and 33 State Film Awards. She was widely known as the “Queen of Expression and Modulation.”
President Droupadi Murmu paid tribute to Janaki, describing her as a music icon whose voice transcended languages. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief, calling her death an “irreparable loss” to music and culture. He said her unmatched versatility and songs, which gave voice to every emotion, would continue to inspire and enchant generations of listeners. (ANI/IANS)
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