Janaki made her playback singing debut in the Tamil film Vidhiyin Vilayattu. She recorded more than 40 thousand songs in around 20 Indian languages.
Legendary playback singer S. Janaki passes away at 88: Veteran playback singer S. Janaki died following age-related ailments on Saturday. On Friday night, she had difficulty breathing. Later, she was admitted to a private hospital in Mysuru, where she breathed her last. She was 88 years old.
S. Janaki recorded more than 40 thousand songs in around 20 Indian languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, Bengali, Odia, Tulu, Urdu and Punjabi in her career. She was fondly known as the ‘Nightingale of South India’. Her family confirmed the news, with her granddaughter sharing an emotional note saying the legendary singer passed away peacefully.
Janaki made her playback singing debut in the Tamil film Vidhiyin Vilayattu and went on to become one of the most prolific voices in Indian cinema. She is also credited with recording the highest number of songs in the Kannada film industry. She received four National Film Awards for Best Female Playback Singer, in addition to numerous state honours, recognising her immense contribution to Indian music.
Janaki retired from playback singing in 2016, ending an extraordinary career with the song ‘Ammapoovinu’ from the Malayalam film Pathu Kalpanakal, starring Anoop Menon and Meera Jasmine.
Her death marks the end of an era in Indian playback singing, leaving behind a musical legacy that has shaped generations of cinema and music lovers across the country.
