A soulful voice that captivated millions of hearts, S Janaki left an indelible imprint on the world of music. With a career spanning nearly six decades, the versatile singer breathed life into songs across multiple Indian languages, although she carved out a distinct identity for herself in South Indian languages. Her soundtracks in various Dravidian languages remain eternal and will not fade into memory although her voice has fallen silent. She passed away on July 11.

Her soulful rendition adapted itself to every shade of character, context and emotion, making her one of the most multifaceted singers in Indian cinema. Although she sang in nearly 18 languages, including foreign languages such as French, German and Japanese, in an interview, she once said, “Languages are the barriers created by us, we are all one because when a child is born and cries, there is no language.”

Born in Pallapatla village, Repalle taluk in Bapatla district of Andhra Pradesh, she was one of five daughters. She was inspired by singers such as Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle, listening to their songs on All India Radio. At the age of 10, under the tutelage of Paidiswamy, she was introduced to Carnatic music. In 1957, she was one among those rare singers who had the opportunity to sing alongside veteran singer Ghantasala in the Telugu film ‘MLA’, with music composed by Pendyala Nageswara Rao.

Although she could not speak Tamil, she was introduced to the industry by music composer T Chalapathi Rao for ‘Vithin Vilayattu’, which was never released. Later, she credited him for her growth in the industry, “Chalapathi Rao entrusted me with the responsibility of two songs and is responsible for my achievements.”

Sri Lekha, assistant music director in the Telugu film industry, says music flowed through her effortlessly. “Janaki Amma’s life was all about the celebration of music. Her voice was like a crystal vessel that took on every shade of emotion poured into it. Whether it was joy, sorrow, innocence, longing, devotion, or playfulness, she reflected each feeling with remarkable clarity and depth,” she adds.

S Janaki’s oeuvre wasn’t limited by any genre. She also became the voice of young actors. Her song ‘Gunna Mammidi Komma Meedha’, from Telugu film ‘Bala Mitrula Katha’, continues to echo in the hearts of children even today. She once sang in three different vocal styles for Tamil film ‘Maggalir Mattum’, with three lead actresses: Revathi, Urvashi and Rohini.

She worked with various music directors such as MS Vishwanathan, KV Mahadevan, Ilayaraja, K Raghavan and others. In Tamil, she was popularly known as Isai Arasi (Queen of Music), especially as she captured the voices of folklore of rural women in films such as ‘Alaigal Oivathillai’ and ‘Kizhakke Pogum Rail’.

Dr M Harikirishna, a film historian, says, “One of the most notable and exceptional feature of S Janaki was the diversification in her voice. She adapted her tone to not only suit all genres, but it also reflected every age group, children and young adults to the middle-aged and elderly alike.”

A well-known music director, Radha Krishnan, says, “I had the opportunity to work with her on several occasions. She was also invited as a special guest on Zee TV’s music show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, where I also had the privilege to serve as a judge. Her beautiful renditions and the effortless way she brought every song to life were truly mesmerising. She was a modern singer who always stayed ahead of her time while remaining deeply rooted in musical tradition.” Legendary music directors KV Mahadevan and Ilaiyaraaja consistently preferred Janaki Amma for songs that demanded exceptional depth and expression, he adds.

From the early 1980s onwards, she became popular for her Hindi songs. She sang along with Bappi Lahiri in ‘Yaar Bina Chain Kahan Re’ in ‘Saaheb’ (1985). She also sang with veteran singer Kishore Kumar in ‘Meri Jung’ for the song ‘Bol Baby Bol, Rock and Roll’. Her journey in Hindi film music continued with films such as ‘Jhoothi’, ‘Satyameva Jayate’, ‘Humse Hai Muqabala’ and others.

In the Tamil film ‘6 Vayathinile’, she gave voice to the beautiful song ‘Sendoora Poove’, for which she also won the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer. Coincidentally, this film was directed by one of the finest directors, Bharatiraja, who also passed away recently.

In 2013, S Janaki declined the Padma Bhushan award, asserting that the recognition for her contribution to Indian music was long overdue, and that she deserved nothing less than the Bharat Ratna.