Overview
- Nadigar Sangam president Nassar confirmed late Friday that veteran actress Sankaramanchi 'Sowcar' Janaki died in Chennai at age 94 and described her as a legendary star.
- Reports say she was being treated at a private hospital for prolonged age-related health issues before her death.
- Her mortal remains were made available for public viewing at Centoph Road in Teynampet from 5 PM and crowds of fans, colleagues and political figures paid respects at her residence ahead of cremation plans.
- Janaki began performing on All India Radio in Madras and went on to a seven-decade screen and stage career of more than 400 films across Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam cinema, though sources disagree on which 1950 film first gave her the 'Sowcar' moniker.
- She received major awards including the Padma Shri in 2022 and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement (South), and continued acting into recent years with Biskoth (2020) and Anni Manchi Sakunamule (2023) as her last screen appearances.