Veteran playback singer S Janaki, fondly known as the "Nightingale of South India," died on Saturday at a private hospital in Mysuru following age-related health issues. She was 88.
Her family confirmed the news, with her granddaughter sharing an emotional note saying the legendary singer passed away peacefully.
Born as Sistla Sreeramamurthy Janaki in Andhra Pradesh, Janaki enjoyed an illustrious career spanning more than six decades, during which she recorded over 40,000 songs in around 20 Indian languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, Bengali, Odia, Tulu, Urdu and Punjabi. Widely regarded as one of India's greatest playback singers, she was celebrated for her extraordinary vocal range, emotional depth and remarkable versatility.
Janaki made her playback singing debut in the Tamil film Vidhiyin Vilayattu and went on to become one of the most prolific voices in Indian cinema. She is also credited with recording the highest number of songs in the Kannada film industry.
Throughout her career, she collaborated with some of India's most celebrated composers, including M. S. Viswanathan, Ilaiyaraaja, G. K. Venkatesh, Hamsalekha, Ashwath, A. R. Rahman and Johnson Master. Her duets with legendary singers P. B. Srinivas, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and Dr Rajkumar remain among the most enduring classics in Indian film music.
Known for her ability to effortlessly adapt her voice to suit a wide range of characters and emotions—including child voices—Janaki earned admiration across generations of listeners.
She received four National Film Awards for Best Female Playback Singer, in addition to numerous state honours, recognising her immense contribution to Indian music.
Janaki retired from playback singing in 2016, ending an extraordinary career with the song "Ammapoovinu" from the Malayalam film Pathu Kalpanakal, starring Anoop Menon and Meera Jasmine.
Her death marks the end of an era in Indian playback singing, leaving behind a musical legacy that has shaped generations of cinema and music lovers across the country.