Veteran actress Sowcar Janaki dies at 94, film fraternity mourns

Veteran actress Sowcar Janaki, who acted in more than 400 films across several Indian languages during a career spanning nearly seven decades, died in Chennai on Friday. She was 94.

Janaki breathed her last at 1.59 pm following age-related ailments, a hospital source said.

News of her death drew tributes from Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy, actor Chiranjeevi and several other political and film personalities.

Revanth Reddy remembered Janaki as an actress who remained relevant across generations. He said she had made a lasting impression on Indian cinema through her work in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi films.

The chief minister also recalled her performance in 'Shavukaru', the 1950 Telugu film that gave her the screen name Sowcar Janaki.

"Janaki, who began her career in childhood by portraying various roles in plays, left an indelible mark on the film industry for nearly seven decades," the Telangana CMO said in a post on X.

Reddy said the characters played by Janaki would continue to remain in the memories of audiences and offered his condolences to her family and fans.

Kishan Reddy said Janaki had created a special place for herself in Telugu cinema through her performances.

"She radiated Telugu essence on the silver screen for four generations," he said in a post on X.

Chiranjeevi also expressed grief over her death, recalling that Janaki's film career began with 'Shavukaru' and went on for almost seven decades.

He said her natural acting and ability to take on different kinds of roles had made her a favourite with audiences.

TDP MLA and actor N Balakrishna recalled Janaki's association with his father, legendary actor N T Rama Rao. He pointed out that 'Shavukaru' was NTR's first film as a hero and Janaki was his leading lady.

It was after the film that Janaki came to be popularly known as Sowcar Janaki, Balakrishna said.

He also recalled the close association between Janaki and the NTR family and described her death as a personal loss.

Balakrishna said Janaki's journey in cinema had stretched to around 75 years, a rare achievement for any artiste.

Janaki started performing in plays as a child before entering films. Over the years, she built a career that took her across Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi cinema, working with several generations of actors and filmmakers.

With her death, Indian cinema has lost one of its veteran performers, whose career remained closely linked with the evolution of South Indian films over several decades.

(With inputs from PTI)