S Janaki laid to rest in Mysuru; thousands bid farewell to singing legend

Singing legend S Janaki, whose voice shaped the soundtrack of generations across South India, was laid to rest in Mysuru on Sunday evening, bringing the curtains down on an extraordinary musical journey that spanned more than six decades.

The veteran playback singer, who died on Friday at the age of 88 due to age-related ailments, was accorded a final farewell in the Karnataka city she had called home for the past several years. Her mortal remains were kept at the Maharaja's College Grounds in Mysuru on Sunday, where thousands of admirers, members of the film fraternity and well-wishers gathered to pay their last respects. She was later laid to rest at her farmhouse in Kaniyahundi village on the outskirts of Mysuru.

For millions of listeners, Janaki was more than just a playback singer. Affectionately known as Janaki Amma, she possessed one of Indian cinema's most versatile voices, effortlessly moving across languages, genres and generations. During a career that stretched over six decades, she recorded more than 48,000 songs in nearly 20 languages, including Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi, leaving behind a body of work that remains unmatched in its scale and diversity.

Janaki began her playback career at the age of 19 with the Tamil film 'Vidhiyin Vilayattu'. Success came almost immediately. Within her first year as a professional singer, she had recorded nearly 100 songs across six Indian languages, marking the arrival of a voice that would soon become indispensable to Indian cinema.

What set Janaki apart was not merely the number of songs she sang, but her remarkable ability to inhabit every character she lent her voice to. She could effortlessly alter her tone to sound like a playful six-year-old child or an elderly woman in her sixties, a rare gift that allowed her to breathe life into songs with extraordinary emotional depth. Whether it was a tender lullaby, a melancholic melody, a devotional hymn or an energetic folk number, Janaki's expressive singing made every performance feel authentic.

Her immense contribution to Indian music earned her widespread acclaim throughout her career. She received four National Film Awards for Best Female Playback Singer and an unprecedented 33 state film awards across southern India, reflecting the enduring impact of a voice that transcended linguistic and regional boundaries.