Veteran Telugu actress Sowcar Janaki has died after emergency hospitalisation in Chennai. She called herself an 'incurable romantic' after separating from her husband.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleVeteran Telugu and Tamil actress Sowcar Janaki has died at the age of 94 following a brief hospitalisation in Chennai. The veteran star, who built a remarkable career spanning more than seven decades, passed away on August 21, 2026, at 1:59 p.m., according to a statement from Nadigar Sangam president Nassar.
Janaki had recently been admitted to Kauvery Hospital in Chennai after falling ill due to age-related health complications. News of her hospitalisation was shared by actor Kayal Devaraj, while members of the South Indian Artistes' Association also visited her in hospital.
Born Sankaramanchi Janaki in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, the actress was raised in a Kannada-speaking family. She developed a strong command of English from a young age, partly because her father encouraged her to read The Hindu aloud and listen to the BBC.
Janaki was married to Sankaramanchi Srinivasa Rao in 1947, when she was still a teenager. She later had three children with him: Yagna Prabha Koty, Venkataramana Sankaramanchi and Sachi Rao. Interestingly, her entry into films came only after marriage and motherhood. She had earlier caught filmmaker B.N. Reddy’s attention because of her voice while working at All India Radio. However, her family opposed the idea of her entering films and arranged her marriage.
Years later, when the family faced financial difficulties, Janaki returned to Reddy seeking work. She eventually landed the lead role in Shavukaru, which was released in 1950 and marked the beginning of a career that would span nearly 400 films.
Janaki once revealed that acting was initially not driven by passion or ambition. Instead, she saw it as a way to provide for her family. “I chose to act not because it interested me; it was merely a means of livelihood,” she said in an interview, recalling how she had approached B.N. Reddy with her infant in her arms.
She also spoke about balancing motherhood with an increasingly demanding career. At the height of her fame, Janaki was raising children while working extensively across South Indian cinema. She once recalled that she "gave my everything to my career — not out of passion, but to support my family needs."
Janaki was married to Sankaramanchi Srinivasa Rao, whom she wed in 1947 when she was only 15. Their marriage eventually became distant, and it created an unfillable void. The couple went their separate ways, but only after their children had grown up and married.
In a 2021 interview with The Hindu, Janaki spoke about the loneliness she experienced during her marriage and later years. She recalled, “I didn’t spend much time with my husband,” explaining that after returning home from shoots, she often had nobody with whom she could discuss her work. She described herself simply as “a mother” during that period and admitted that she had “led a lonely life.”
Janaki and Srinivasa Rao had three children: Yagna Prabha Koty, Venkataramana Sankaramanchi and Sachi Rao. Her family remained an important part of her life even as she became one of the most recognisable faces in South Indian cinema. She once recalled making time for her children despite her demanding shooting schedule, including ensuring that she was available on weekends.
Janaki’s younger sister, Krishna Kumari, also became an incredibly famous actress, while her granddaughter, Vaishnavi Aravind, later followed the same path. The veteran left behind an extended family: grandchildren Vaishnavi, Dev Prasad Koty, Dr Sanjai Rao, and Rishi Sankaramanchi, and four great-grandchildren, including Vaishnavi's daughters Aditi and Meghna.
In one of her most poignant reflections on life, Janaki described herself as an “incurable romantic” and spoke about her desire to leave the world peacefully when the time came. The words now carry an especially emotional weight following her death at 94. She said in her 2021 interview:
“Life is uncertain. You have to exit when the curtain is down. Be prepared and go peacefully, that’s my only wish."
Janaki went on to become one of the most versatile performers in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam cinema. She worked with legends including Sivaji Ganesan, M.G. Ramachandran, Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan and Dr Rajkumar. Her more recent film appearances included the Telugu movie Anni Manchi Sakunamule in 2023 and the Tamil film Biskoth in 2020. In 2022, she was honoured with the Padma Shri for her contribution to Indian cinema.
After her death, Nassar said in a statement, "Legendary star Sowcar Janaki (94) passed away. Her mortal remains will be placed at Centoph Road, Teyampet, from 5 PM."
For generations of moviegoers, Sowcar Janaki was far more than a supporting presence. Her death marks the end of an extraordinary chapter in South Indian cinema.
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