CHENNAI: Sowcar Janaki, the elegant actor whose career spanned more than seven decades of South Indian cinema, died in Chennai on Friday following age-related ailments. She was 94.From the studio-era social dramas of the 1950s to the sharply observed middle-class stories of filmmaker K Balachander, Janaki built a career defined by remarkable versatility. She could move effortlessly from deeply emotional roles to sophisticated society women, domineering wives and characters rooted in comedy.For Janaki, cinema did not begin with a dream of becoming a star. It began with the need to earn a living.Born in Rajahmundry in 1931, Janaki developed an early association with performance through radio. As a teenager, she became an A-grade artiste with All India Radio. Her voice eventually caught the attention of filmmaker B N Reddy, who approached her with an offer to act when she was around 15. However, acting was not considered a respectable profession for girls from traditional families at the time. Her family opposed the idea, and she was married young.Yet Janaki eventually found her way into cinema and went on to establish herself as one of the most respected actors in South Indian cinema. Working across several languages, she refused to be confined to a particular screen image. She was celebrated for her dramatic performances before reinventing herself in glamorous and comic roles.Actor Y Gee Mahendran, who shared a close personal association with Janaki, remembered her as a self-made woman who earned her place in the industry through talent, grit and determination.“She led a complete life — that of a self-made woman who carved a place for herself in the industry through sheer talent, grit and determination. Sowcar amma was also a no-nonsense person. If something did not sit right with her, she would never hesitate to call it out,” Mahendran said.He recalled how Janaki encouraged him when he staged his first play.“When I staged my first play, she was among the first to come forward and appreciate me. At a time when I was finding my feet, her words of encouragement gave me tremendous confidence and boosted my morale,” he said.Their association extended beyond the stage and screen. Mahendran recalled being invited with his family for Sunday lunches at Janaki’s residence on Cenotaph Road in Chennai.“Every Sunday, she would host our family for lunch at her Cenotaph Road residence, long before the property gave way to apartments. She was as accomplished in the kitchen as she was before the camera. Her culinary skills were outstanding, and those Sunday lunches remain among my fondest memories of her,” he said.Years later, Mahendran had the opportunity to launch Janaki’s granddaughter in his play Lakshmy Kalyana Vaibogamay. Janaki, despite her stature in the industry, attended the performance like any other member of the audience.“Sowcar amma bought a ticket like any other member of the audience and quietly took her seat in the middle of a row. There was no expectation of special treatment or fanfare. That was her — a celebrated star who wore her stature lightly,” Mahendran recalled.Janaki’s ability to reinvent herself became one of the defining features of her career. She was once regarded as Tamil cinema’s “tragedy queen”, but later became equally memorable in comic roles.Mahendran recalled that AVM Saravanan once told him he would buy tickets simply to watch Janaki play Pattu Mami in Ethir Neechal.“Such was her command over a character. Having once been celebrated as Tamil cinema’s tragedy queen, she could effortlessly reinvent herself and slip into quintessential comic roles with remarkable ease. Very few actors could have pulled off such a transformation with the conviction she did,” he said.But for those who knew her personally, Janaki’s legacy extended beyond her performances.“What stayed with people, however, was not merely the actor in her. She drew people towards her with her warmth, grace and simplicity,” Mahendran said.He also recalled visiting Janaki in an ICU during her final days.“Even during her final days, her family told me that she kept asking for me. I went to see her in the ICU — a deeply emotional visit that I will always carry with me,” he said.Janaki, Mahendran said, lived on her own terms and never lost the simplicity that defined her.“From tragedy to comedy, sophistication to earthy humour, she could inhabit vastly different worlds with equal authority. She did not merely play a range of characters; she lived a life with just as much range, dignity and grace,” he said.
