Veteran Actress 'Sowcar' Janaki Passes Away at 94

Veteran actress Sowcar Janaki passed away at the age of 94 on August 21, following a brief hospital stay in Chennai due to age-related health issues. Her death was confirmed by Nadigar Sangam President Nassar, with actor Kayal Devaraj also sharing updates about her health before her passing. Members of Nadigar Sangam had visited her during her time in hospital care.

About Sankaramanchi Janaki

Sowcar Janaki was born Sankaramanchi Janaki into a Kannada-speaking family in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh. She was married off at a young age, while still a minor, to Sankaramanchi Srinivasa Rao in 1947. Despite this, she continued her education, appearing for her matriculation exams while pregnant and later going on to graduate from Gauhati University in Assam. Before stepping into films, she also worked as a radio host at Aakashavani Madras, now known as All India Radio. She had three children, two daughters, Yagna Prabha Koty and Venkataramana Sankaramanchi, and a son, Sachi Rao.

Sowcar Janaki's Career in Indian Cinema

1. Janaki entered the film industry in 1950, making her debut in the Telugu film Shavukaru, directed by L.V. Prasad. 
2. She went on to make her Tamil film debut in 1952 with T. R. Sundaram's Valayapathi. Over the decades that followed, she built an extensive career acting across Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam cinema. 
3. One of her notable roles came in 1959, when she co-starred alongside Dr. Rajkumar in Mahishasura Mardini, recognised as the first pan-Indian film in Kannada cinema. 
4. Her decades-long body of work across South Indian languages left behind a lasting legacy in Indian cinema.

Why did Sankaramanchi Janaki get the title of “Sowcar”?

Sankaramanchi Janaki earned the title "Sowcar" through her debut Telugu film, Shavukaru (1950), directed by L. V. Prasad and produced by Chakrapani and B. N. Reddi under Vauhini Studios. The word "Shavukaru" translates to "banker" or "wealthy merchant," and Janaki played the female lead in this role. Following the film's massive success, the title stuck permanently to her screen identity, and she came to be known throughout her career as "Sowcar Janaki.