Nightingale of South India S Janaki Passes Away at 88

Legendary playback singer S Janaki, lovingly called the "Nightingale of South India," passed away at the age of 88. She breathed her last while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Mysuru after suffering a heart attack. Her death has left millions of music lovers across India saddened. Fans, musicians, actors, and film personalities have been paying tribute to the iconic singer who entertained generations with her unforgettable voice.

S Janaki was one of India's greatest playback singers. During her long career, she sang thousands of songs in several Indian languages, including Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi. Her soft voice, emotional singing, and ability to express different feelings through music made her one of the most respected singers in Indian cinema.

She was born on April 23, 1938, in Pallapatla village of present-day Andhra Pradesh. Her father worked as an Ayurvedic doctor and also taught students. Janaki developed an interest in music at a very young age. She performed on stage when she was just nine years old. Although she learned the basics of music from a local teacher, she never received formal classical music training. Her natural talent and dedication helped her become one of India's finest singers.

Janaki entered the film industry as a playback singer in the late 1950s. Over the next six decades, she built an extraordinary career by singing songs in many Indian languages. She officially retired from playback singing in 2016 after giving countless memorable hits. However, she returned briefly in 2018 to sing for a Tamil film, making fans happy once again.

Her outstanding contribution to Indian music earned her four National Film Awards and 33 State Film Awards, making her one of the most honoured playback singers in the country. In 2013, she declined the Padma Bhushan, saying that recognition for her work had come too late.

S Janaki married V. Ramprasad in 1959, and he strongly supported her musical journey until his death in 1997. Besides Telugu, she could also speak and write Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi fluently.