Sowcar Janaki

Janaki is born on 12 December 1931.[4] She is the elder daughter of T. Venkoji Rao and Sachi Devi of Rajahmundry.[5] Her younger sister is Krishna Kumari, who was also an actress.[3] She was brought up in a Telugu-speaking family.[6] She completed her earlier studies from Gauhati University in Assam and has received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Arizona. She has two daughters and a son.[7] Her granddaughter, Vaishnavi Aravind is also an actress who acted in several Tamil, Telugu and a few Malayalam movies since 1987.[8][7]

Sowcar Janaki has been a prominent radio artist at "Aakashvani Madras" from the age of 14. She has also acted in Telugu plays penned by prominent authors like Dr. P.V. Rajamannar, Dr. Aarudra Padmaraju Atreya and others.

She made her debut at the age of 18, after her marriage, in 1949 with the film Shavukaru. She became a popular actress with hits in various languages between 1949 and 1975. Janaki had stated in an interview with Chitra Lakshmanan, that when she entered the movie world, there was V.N. Janaki(MGR's third wife) playing heroine roles. As such, to distinguish her from V.N. Jankai, producers came to tag the name Sowcar in front of her name. Her lead heroine roles in Valayapathy (Tamil), Rojulu Marayi (Telugu), then in Tamil, such as Naan Kanda Sorgam, Kaviya Thalavi, Bhagya Lakshmi, Pallum Pazhamum, Paar Magale Paar, Thayikku Thalaimagan, Kumudham, Panam Paadithavan, Puthiya Paravai, Bama Vijayam, Oli Villaku, Ethir Neechal, Maanavan, Uyardha Manidhan, Nimarundhu Nil, Thunaivan, Needhi, Kaliyuga Kannan and Iru Kodugal (Tamil), with Kannada films such as Devakaanika, Saaku Magalu, Sadarame, Thayige Thakka Maga received popular recognition. Janaki's Malayalam debut Schoolmaster (1964) and with a film in Hindi - Teen Bahuraniyan. She worked with famous directors such as Dada Mirasi and K. Balachander.

Janaki moved to supporting roles after 1975 and her performances in Tamil films like Cinema Paithiyam, Thee, Thillu Mullu, Vetri Vizha, Puthu Puthu Arthangal, Kaanche and her performances in Telugu language films like Bezwada Bebbuli, Tayaramma Bangaraya, Samsaram Oka Chadarangam were widely appreciated. She even acted in Hindi films in supporting roles in Dosti Dushmani and Prem Geet. She served as jury member twice for the National Indian Films awards committee and as chair person for State Telugu Films awards committee.

She had essayed wide variety of roles throughout her 74 years career. The only other actors to have had such long careers in the field of acting in India were Dev Anand, Pran, Ashok Kumar, Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Kamini Kaushal[9] However, by 2016, her career span has overtaken most of the actors and she remains one of the few Indian actors with the longest career span.

She was the most comfortable on being paired with Sreekanth, Gemini Ganesan and Sivaji Ganesan repeatedly in Tamil films. She quoted in an interview on her pairing with Sivaji Ganesan, "He would compliment me in public using superlatives. I’d be thrilled! We would always rehearse together. If my character needed a little over-acting, he would tone down his and vice versa. It was a challenge working with the great actor! If they remember Sivaji Ganesan, they remember me".[10] She has done over 300 films in Kannada, Hindi, Malayalam and Telugu. She acted in supporting roles in films with M. G.Ramachandran as lead hero like Panam Padaithavan, Petralthan Pillaiya, Thaikku Thalaimagan, Oli Vilakku.

She actively participated in drama troupes and did live drama shows right from 1960, despite being a busy film star and continued doing so till 1995. In many of the dramas, she worked with co-star Srikanth.

She was paired alongside N. T. Rama Rao in her first movie Shavukaru. She acted with A. Nageswara Rao, Jaggayya, Sivaji Ganesan, M.G.R, Prem Nazir, V.K. Ramaswamy, Major Sunderrajan, Nagesh, Srikanth, AVM Rajan, Gemini Ganesan, Ravichandran, Dr. Rajkumar, Kamal Haasan, Rajnikanth, Ajithkumar and Mammootty.

She has performed on stage in 3 popular plays, written and directed by K. Balachander, in over 300 shows.

Janaki being awarded Padma Shri, c. 2022

She has received several awards. Some notable ones are given below:

• Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South (1984)[11]
• Mahanati Savithri Award in 1985
• Honorary Doctorate from World University, Arizona for Excellence in her chosen field in 1985.
• Indian Express Dyonara Golden Award in 1989.
• Nadigar Thilagam Sivaji Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004
• Dr. Akkineni Nageswara Rao Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000
• Sri Krishna Devaraya Award, Karnataka
• Kalaimamani by Tamil Nadu government in 1969-1970.
• Tamil Nadu State Film Honorary Award - MGR Award in 1990.
• Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress, 1970 for Iru Kodugal
• Nandi Award for Best Supporting Actress for Samsaram Oka Chadarangam,1987[12]
• Nandi Award for Best Supporting Actress for Amoolyam,2007
• SIIMA Lifetime Achievement Award (2013)
• Rajyotsava Award by Government of Karnataka (2015)
• Streeratna Awards (2019)
• Wonder Women Awards (2019) as Evergreen Entertainer of Indian Cinema
• Puratchi Thalaivi Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Special Kalaimamani Award (2020) by the Government of Tamil Nadu
• Padma Shri (2022) by the Government of India

• She was featured in the first Kannada pan-Indian film Mahishasura Mardini alongside Dr. Rajkumar which was released in 1959 making her one of the first leading pan-Indian actresses.[13] It was dubbed and released in seven other languages.

• M H Jewellers
• Durga Dairy

• Sowcar Janaki at IMDb