‘The song is beautiful’: How S Janaki lent her voice to the classic 'Mizhiyoram’

It was 1980. By then, S Janaki, fondly known as Janakiyamma,had established herself as one of South India’s most sought-after playback singers. Her recording schedule was packed across Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam cinema, making it difficult for filmmakers to secure her dates.

Yet, the makers of ‘Manjil Virinja Pookkal’ were determined to have her voice. The film itself brought together an extraordinary group of newcomers who would go on to reshape Malayalam cinema. Directed by the then debutant Fazil, it marked the acting debut of Mohanlal, while Jerry Amaldev was composing music for his first independent Malayalam film. Producer Navodaya Appachan had entrusted the young composer with scoring the film, a decision that would prove pivotal to all their careers.

Fresh from the United States after completing his higher studies, Jerry Amaldev had only recently returned to India. Though he had worked as an assistant to the legendary Hindi film composer Naushad, 'Manjil Virinja Pookkal' was his first opportunity as an independent music director, Looking back, Jerry recalls travelling to Madras (now Chennai) to record the songs with Janaki.

“She was an extremely busy singer at the time,” he said. “I was asked to teach her the tune, and she sang it exactly the way I had imagined. That was one of Janaki’s greatest strengths as a playback singer. She would never impose her own style or unnecessary embellishments on a composition. Instead, she understood precisely what the composer wanted and rendered it faithfully. That quality is what made her such a favourite of composers like Ilaiyaraaja and so many others.”

He remembers not only her professionalism but also her efforts to communicate in Malayalam. “She wasn’t fluent in Malayalam, but she always tried. Her Malayalam carried a Telugu accent, yet she spoke with remarkable clarity. After finishing the recording, she smiled and said, ‘Paattu nannayittundutto’ (‘The song has come out well’). We never met often after that, nor did we develop a close friendship, but there was always immense mutual respect for each other’s work.”

Jerry Amaldev also supported Janaki’s decision to decline the Padma Bhushan in 2013, arguing that the honour had come far too late in her extraordinary career.

“Who else can claim a discography of nearly 48,000 songs over a career spanning more than six decades?” he said. “She sang in around 20 languages. That itself is an unparalleled achievement. There were many exceptionally gifted singers from South India, including P. Susheela, who did not always receive the national recognition they deserved. Janaki certainly belonged in that category.”

For Manjil Virinja Pookkal, Janaki lent her voice to two of the film’s most memorable songs, 'Manjani Kombil' and 'Mizhiyoram'. The latter remains one of the most cherished melodies in Malayalam cinema and is widely regarded as one of the defining songs of Janaki’s long and illustrious career.