Sowcar Janaki remembered as Tamil Nadu Assembly pays tribute

The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday paid tribute to veteran actress Sowcar Janaki, who passed away in Chennai on August 21 at the age of 94 following age-related ailments.

Speaker J C D Prabhakar read out a condolence resolution remembering Janaki’s remarkable seven-decade career and her immense contribution to Indian cinema. Renowned for her versatility, she played both leading and character roles across different phases of her career.

Janaki worked in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi films and shared the screen with several celebrated actors, including Sivaji Ganesan, Gemini Ganesan, Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth. She also worked alongside three prominent Tamil Nadu political figures associated with cinema — M G Ramachandran, M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa.

Born Sankaramanchi Janaki, she began her acting career at the age of 19 with the Telugu film Shavukaru, directed by L V Prasad. The film earned her the name Sowcar Janaki.

With more than 400 films to her credit, she was particularly recognised for her performances in K Balachander’s acclaimed films, including Ethir Neechal and Kavya Thalaivi, where she portrayed the struggles of middle-class women with remarkable realism.

Beyond acting, Janaki was also known for her interests in interior design and culinary arts. The Assembly remembered her as a symbol of independence, dignity and resilience.

Her honours included the Kalaimamani, Andhra Pradesh’s Nandi Award, Karnataka’s Rajyotsava Award and the Padma Shri, which she received in 2022.

The Assembly observed a two-minute silence in her memory before resuming the day’s proceedings.

with inputs from PTI