Mysuru: The Indian film industry’s beloved ‘Gaana Kogile’ S. Janaki, passed away yesterday at Apollo BGS Hospitals in Mysuru. She was 88. Janaki, who had been living in Mysuru with her granddaughter, was suffering from age-related ailments. She had undergone hip surgery in 2019. 

Yesterday, at around 12.50 pm, she was admitted to the hospital after experiencing severe pain in her leg. Doctors found that an infection in her leg had worsened and she was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit. Despite treatment, she suffered a cardiac arrest at 7.30 pm and breathed her last. 

Born on April 23, 1938, in Repalle village of Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh, Janaki displayed a keen interest in music from the age of three. She trained under Nadaswaram maestro Paidiswamy. 

In 1956, she participated in a music competition conducted by All India Radio and received an award from the then President Dr. Rajendra Prasad. Later, she captivated audiences in Chennai with her soulful rendition of Lata Mangeshkar’s classic ‘Rasik Balma.’ 

A household name 

She married V. Ram Prasad in 1959. After he died in 1997, she lived in Hyderabad with her son before moving to Mysuru in recent years, where she resided at the home of a devoted admirer in Bogadi. Her only son, Murali Krishna, had died six months ago.  

Janaki’s playback singing career began in 1957 with the Tamil film ‘Vidiyin Vilayattu,’ composed by T. Chalapathi Rao. She later sang for Telugu films such as ‘MLA’ and Kannada films like ‘Krishnagarudi.’ 

Her voice enriched Malayalam cinema as well and her versatility across South Indian languages made her a household name. She also recorded songs in several other Indian and foreign languages, earning admiration across generations. 

More than 48,000 songs 

S. Janaki’s voice brought life to more than 48,000 songs in nearly 20 languages, including over 3,000 in Kannada, 18,000 in Telugu, 10,000 in Malayalam and more than 12,000 in Tamil. 

One of her greatest strengths was her ability to sing in the voice of a child, a rare gift that set her apart. She lent her voice to compositions by legendary music directors and rendered memorable duets with fellow maestros with effortless grace. 

Apart from film songs, she recorded a vast number of devotional and light music albums and also worked as a music director for several films. Her partnership with late S.P. Balasubrahmanyam was especially celebrated, with the duo recording more than 3,000 duets together. 

Honours came in abundance 

Janaki won four National Film Awards and 33 State Awards. She was conferred an honorary doctorate by the University of Mysore, besides receiving Tamil Nadu’s Kalaimamani Award and Karnataka’s Rajyotsava Award. In 2013, she was named a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, but respectfully declined the honour. 

Her immortal voice lives on through countless Kannada classics, including ‘Nodu Ba Nodu Ba Nammoora,’ ‘Taaye Baare Mogava Tore,’ ‘Yuga Yugadi Kaledaru,’ ‘Hele Gelathi Priya Madhava Barene Yendu,’ ‘Yaava Janmada Maithri,’ ‘Doni Saagali Mundhe Hogali,’ ‘Jayagowri Jagadishwari,’ ‘Aadona Ba Ba Gopala,’ ‘Banallu Neene Bhuviyallu Neene,’ ‘Bisilaadarenu Maleyaadarenu,’ ‘Pogadirelo Ranga,’ ‘Aralide Aralide Mududida Taavare Aralide,’ ‘Kangalu Thumbiralu Kambanidhareyali,’ ‘Tumbithu Manava Tanditu Sukhava,’ ‘Poojisalende Hoogala Thande,’ ‘Indu Enage Govinda,’ ‘Devara Aata Ballavararu,’ ‘Hoovondu Beku Ballige,’ ‘Raghavendra Nee Maunavaadare,’ ‘Gummana Kareyadire Amma,’ ‘Aakasha Deepavu Neenu’ and many more. These songs have etched in the hearts of crores of listeners, a lasting testament to her unmatched artistry.