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Sowcar Janaki carved out a remarkable place for herself in Indian cinema, with a career that began in the 1950s and continued well into the 2020s. She worked across Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam films and remained a familiar presence for generations of moviegoers.

Janaki died in Chennai on August 21 at the age of 94 after a brief hospitalisation. Nassar, president of the South Indian Artistes' Association (Nadigar Sangam), confirmed the news. He said the veteran actor died at 1:59 PM on Friday.

Her mortal remains were scheduled to be kept at Centoph Road in Teynampet, Chennai, from 5 PM, where family members, colleagues and admirers could pay their last respects.

The news of Janaki's hospitalisation had surfaced a few days earlier. Actor Kayal Devaraj had shared an update on social media, revealing that she was admitted to Kauvery Hospital in Alwarpet, Chennai, after falling ill and was receiving intensive medical care.

Nassar, along with actors Soundararaja and Hemachandran, had also visited Janaki in hospital on behalf of Nadigar Sangam to enquire about her health.

Sowcar Janaki's Journey From Radio To Cinema

Born Sankaramanchi Janaki in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, she had an interesting journey to the world of films. Acting was not her first profession. She worked as a radio jockey at Aakashavani Madras, now known as All India Radio, before making her mark on the big screen.

Her life was also shaped by her commitment to education. Janaki married Sankaramanchi Srinivasa Rao in 1947 and continued her studies after marriage. She even appeared for her matriculation examinations while pregnant and later graduated from Gauhati University in Assam.

Janaki made her film debut in 1950 with the Telugu movie Shavukaru, directed by LV Prasad. Two years later, she entered Tamil cinema with Valayapathi, directed by TR Sundaram.

From there, her career steadily grew. Janaki became one of the few actors of her generation to establish herself across several South Indian film industries.

She made her Kannada debut with Devakannika in 1954 and later shared the screen with Kannada superstar Dr Rajkumar in Mahishasura Mardini in 1959. The film was an important milestone in Kannada cinema and added another significant chapter to Janaki's already growing career.

Her association with Malayalam cinema came later, with School Master in 1964.

Sowcar Janaki's Family, Television Career And Padma Shri

What made Janaki's career particularly remarkable was its longevity. She successfully moved with the changing times, appearing not only in films but also on television as the entertainment industry evolved.

She made her television debut with the Tamil Doordarshan show Oorarinda Rahasyam in 1991. Years later, she continued to work in television, with her last TV appearance coming in the Telugu serial Varudhini Parinayam in 2013.

Acting was also part of her family legacy. Her younger sister Krishna Kumari became an actor, while her granddaughter Vaishnavi Aravind also followed the same path.

Janaki continued appearing in films even in her later years. Her more recent credits included the Tamil comedy Biskoth, released in 2020, and Nandini Reddy's Telugu film Anni Manchi Sakunamule in 2023.

Her decades-long contribution to Indian cinema was recognised with the Padma Shri in 2022.

From the early days of post-Independence Indian cinema to contemporary films, Sowcar Janaki witnessed and adapted to an industry that changed dramatically around her. She worked with actors and filmmakers from different generations and built a career that crossed languages, formats and eras.