Veteran actor Sowcar Janaki passes away at 94

CHENNAI: Legendary actress Sowcar Janaki has passed away. She was 94.

The news of her demise was confirmed by Nasser, actor and president of the South Indian Artistes’ Association (Nadigar Sangam), via a public statement. She had been hospitalised due to age-related health complications and was undergoing treatment in the ICU at a Chennai hospital.

Sowcar Janaki, who breathed her last on August 21, had a career spanning nearly seven decades, working across various South Indian languages. Over the years, she shared the screen with some of the biggest names in Indian cinema, including Sivaji Ganesan, N T Rama Rao, A Nageswara Rao and Dr Rajkumar.

In 2022, at the age of 90, government conferred the Padma Shri on Janaki in recognition of her lifetime contribution to Indian cinema. She was also honoured with the Tamil Nadu government’s Kalaimamani Award and received the Nandi Awards from the Andhra Pradesh government.

Janaki most recently appeared in the 2023 Telugu film Anni Manchi Sakunamule, directed by Nandini Reddy. She also starred in the 2020 Tamil parody film Biskoth, directed by R Kannan.

Janaki is survived by her three children, four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.(ANI)