‘Sowcar’ Janaki had a memorable role in Malayalam in Soorya Manasam

For nearly seven decades, Sowcar Janaki remained a constant presence on South Indian screens, enduring through changing eras, co-stars, and film movements. She passed away on Friday in Chennai from age-related complications at the age of 94. Her death was confirmed by Nassar, an actor and president of the South Indian Artistes Association (Nadigar Sangam), in a public statement.

The actor's final days were spent in intensive care at Kauvery Hospital in Alwarpet, where she had been admitted earlier in the week after a sharp decline in her health. The government of India honored her with the Padma Shri in 2022, recognizing her lifetime contribution to Indian cinema, while she had previously received the Tamil Nadu government's Kalaimamani award and multiple Nandi Awards for her work in Tamil and Telugu cinema.

Janaki's extensive career put her alongside legendary actors such as Sivaji Ganesan, N.T. Rama Rao, A. Nageswara Rao, and Dr. Rajkumar, making her one of the last living links to the golden age of South Indian cinema. Even in her nineties, she continued to act, appearing in the Telugu film Anni Manchi Sakunamule in 2023, portraying a grandmother character, which marked a fitting final role for an actor whose legacy embodied continuity across generations of Indian filmmaking.