New Delhi: Veteran actor Sankaramanchi Janaki, popularly known as Sowcar Janaki, passed away on 21 August at a private hospital in Chennai at the age of 94 following prolonged health issues.
She worked in the industry for nearly seven decades, appearing in more than 400 films and performing in hundreds of stage shows. But her journey into entertainment began with All India Radio, Madras, at the age of 11.
She started her acting career just three years after Independence with the Telugu film Shavukaru (1950), directed by LV Prasad and starring NT Rama Rao. The film gave the 18-year-old actor the moniker “Sowcar”, which stayed with her throughout her career. She made her Tamil debut two years later with Valayapathi and, over the following years, appeared in Kannada and Malayalam works too.
While most of her work remained rooted in South Indian cinema, Janaki also appeared in Hindi films. Her Hindi debut, Teen Bahuraniyan (1968), was a remake of the Tamil film Bama Vijayam (1967). Janaki and her co-stars from the original, Bama and Kanchana, reprised their respective roles in the Hindi version, which was directed by SS Vasan and SS Balan, and featured Prithviraj Kapoor.
One of the most interesting chapters of Janaki’s career was her association with Kannada superstar Dr Rajkumar. Their on-screen relationship changed over the years as Janaki went from playing Rajkumar’s love interest to sister to even his mother. Their collaboration ended in 2000 with Shabdavedhi, Rajkumar’s last film.
Awards galore
Janaki gradually became known for her ability to portray women from various sections of society and across stages of life. In Tamil cinema, her collaborations with director K Balachander became particularly important. She worked with him in films including Neerkumizhi (1965), Edhir Neechal (1968), Iru Kodugal (1969), Kaviya Thalaivi (1970) and Thillu Mullu (1981).
Her performance in Iru Kodugal won her the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress in 1969.
Her contribution was eventually recognised with several honours, including the Kalaimamani, two Nandi Awards and the Padma Shri, which she received in 2022 for her contribution to the arts.
Even in the later years of her career, Janaki continued to appear on screen. She was last seen in Tamil cinema in Biskoth (2020), while her final on-screen appearance was in the Telugu movie Anni Manchi Sakunamule (2023).
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