Sowcar Janaki was, until her demise, probably the oldest surviving South Indian actress, and was known for her versatile roles in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films. The name ‘Sowcar’ became part of her name when she made her film debut in Shavukaru, a Telugu film directed by L.V. Prasad.

In Tamil, her entry began with the film Valayapathi, and she went on to be associated with some of the finest songs and roles, displaying style, finesse, majesty and a range of expressions. She even earned the title ‘weeping face’. But she preferred to call herself a feminist.

She acted and worked with three Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu—M.G. Ramachandran, M. Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa—and, in Telugu, with N.T. Rama Rao. She was one of the favourite actors of director K. Balachander. She played a remarkable role as the pretend mother of Rajinikanth in Thillu Mullu, intended to fool Thengai Srinivasan. With her eyes bulging, she would say, “Enakku konjam bayama irukku,” and then, “Pressure konjam jasthiya irukku.”

“Maalaipozhuthin Mayakkathile Naan Kanavu Kanden Thozhi” from the film Bhagyalakshmi, though composed by Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy, is a favourite of maestro Ilaiyaraaja. The song always conjures up the image of Sowcar Janaki, who played a widow in the film. Another film, Babu, starring Sivaji Ganesan in the lead role, also featured Sowcar Janaki prominently as Sridevi’s mother.

In a way, her life resembled that of the poor mother in the film Babu, born-rich-turned-poor. Born in 1931 in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, into a Brahmin family, she grew up in a household where her father, who had studied paper-making technology in England, valued education. English was the language spoken at home. The atmosphere was conservative, and watching films was taboo. Listening to the radio was her favourite pastime. She participated in dramas broadcast by All India Radio and soon became an A-grade artiste because of her robust voice.

In an interview with Suhasini Maniratnam, she recalled how an opportunity to act in films knocked on her door. Nagi Reddi, the Telugu film producer, captivated by her voice, offered her a role in a film. But her family was against it, and she was forced to marry at the age of 15 to prevent her from acting. She became a mother at 17. Her fortunes changed later. Sowcar Janaki herself had spoken about the abject poverty she faced when she began her film career as a mother of two children.

Even though many actresses played opposite Sivaji Ganesan, Sowcar Janaki’s acting and roles in films such as Puthiya Paravai, Uyarntha Manithan and Mahakavi Kalidas measured up to the thespian’s. Her songs, body language and delivery of dialogues made fans sit up and take notice of her performances.

With her extraordinary hairstyle and Singapore-style costume, she would enter humming to the beats of bongos while Sivaji Ganesan lit a cigarette in Puthiya Paravai. Her expression in the song “Paartha Gnaabagam Illaiyo” was stunning. Her role in tormenting Sivaji Ganesan throughout the film, particularly in the song “Enge Nimmathi, Enge Nimmathi”, is another milestone.

When these songs and roles are compared with her role in Mahakavi Kalidoss as the princess who was forced to marry Kalidoss, and that of the housewife in Ethir Neechal, in which she rendered the song “Aduthathu Ambujatha Paarthela”, they offer glimpses into her talent for slipping under the skin of the characters she played. She also enthralled audiences as Sivaji Ganesan’s imperious wife in Uyarntha Manithan. Another film in which she excelled was Kaviya Thalaivi.

Published - August 21, 2026 05:55 pm IST