Sowcar Janaki's death made fans revisit her marital and financial issues with her ex-husband, Sankaramanchi Srinivasa Rao.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleVeteran Telugu and Tamil star Sowcar Janaki has passed away, marking the end of an era. She was 94 years old when she died following a brief hospitalisation in Chennai. The legendary actress, who entertained audiences for seven decades, has quietly left the world. It also prompted her fans to revisit her prolific career and her tumultuous marriage to her ex-husband, Sankaramanchi Srinivasa Rao, which ended in a split.
Sowcar Janaki was a shining star on the big screen; however, behind the scenes, she fought silent battles. Beyond the glitz and glam of the South film industry, her real life was filled with difficulties. Her marriage with her ex-husband, Sankaramanchi Srinivasa Rao wasn't a smooth ride. Sowcar had amassed substantial wealth from her prolific acting career, which she planned to pass on to her children.
The former couple was parents to three kids: daughters Yagna Prabha Koty and Sachi Rao, and son Venkataramana Sankaramanchi. Sowcar built her empire by acting in more than 400 films across Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, and Malayalam. However, at one point she noticed that her hard-earned money and her assets were disappearing. When she looked into the matter, she discovered that it was her then-husband, Srinivasa, who was draining her finances.
At that time, Sowcar grew worried about her kids' future, as she planned to save up and use her money and assets for her kids' education and marriage-related expenses. She then decided to take a stand for herself and her kids. The actress confronted her ex-husband, and when conversations didn't lead to any favorable outcome, she decided to split from him.
Hence, to prevent further financial depletion and secure her kids' future, Sowcar Janaki parted ways with Sankaramanchi Srinivasa Rao. The former couple separated after their children grew up and got married. Years after their split, Sowcar sat for an interview with a local channel and recalled her differences with her ex and their eventual split. At that time, she stated that her priority was her kids, which is why she decided to leave Srinivasa.
Sowcar Janaki got married to Sankaramanchi Srinivasa Rao in 1947 when she was only 15 and later had three children with him. 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.
Sowcar and Srinivasa eventually grew distant, creating an unfillable void. 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 no one to discuss her work with.
Sowcar described herself simply as "a mother" during that period and admitted that she had "led a lonely life." Years later, when the family faced financial difficulties, she realised the damage her then-husband's expenses caused her, and then she returned to Reddy seeking work.
As for the South star's remaining close family, it consisted of her younger sister, Krishna Kumari, and granddaughter, Vaishnavi Aravind, both of whom became famous actresses. Sowcar also left behind an extended family, including grandchildren Vaishnavi, Dev Prasad Koty, Dr Sanjai Rao, and Rishi Sankaramanchi, and four great-grandchildren, including Vaishnavi's daughters Aditi and Meghna.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to Sowcar Janaki's family as they deal with her loss.
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