Mysuru, 11 July  

Veteran playback singer S Janaki died at a private hospital here on Saturday due to age-related ailments, family sources said. She was 88 years old.

According to sources, she developed breathing issues last night and was subsequently admitted to the hospital.

Known for her versatility, Janaki recorded over 48,000 songs in multiple languages, predominantly the South Indian languages of Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. Over a career spanning six decades, she sang for films, albums, television and radio in about 20 Indian languages, including Hindi, Odia, Tulu, Urdu, Punjabi and Bengali.

Sharing the news on behalf of the family, her granddaughterApsara Vydyula, in an Instagram post, said, “It is with profound sadness that I share the passing of my beloved grandmother and legendary singer, Smt S Janaki.”

“She left us peacefully, surrounded by the love of her family. While our hearts are heavy, we are also filled with gratitude for the extraordinary life she lived and the immeasurable joy she brought to millions through her timeless music,” she said.

“To the world, she was an iconic voice whose songs became part of countless memories. To us, she was a loving grandmother whose warmth, humility, kindness and grace will remain with us forever. We kindly request that you respect our family's privacy during this difficult time as we grieve and come to terms with this loss,” she said, thanking everyone for their love, prayers and understanding.

Janaki was born on 23 April, 1938, in Pallapatla, Guntur, in Andhra Pradesh. Fondly known as “Janaki amma” among her disciples and followers, she was regarded as the “Nightingale of South India”.

Janaki began her singing career with the Tamil film, 'Vidhiyin Vilayattu' (1957) at the age of 19.

Though she was highly popular in other South Indian languages, Janaki is said to have sung the most songs in her career in Kannada. Her duets with legends such as PB Srinivas, SP Balasubrahmanyam and Dr Rajkumar are considered evergreen hits.

Fans in Karnataka called her “Gaana Kogile”. She also sang songs in English, Japanese, German and Sinhala. Janaki won four National Film Awards and 33 different state film awards.

She received an honorary doctorate from the University of Mysore, the Kalaimamani award from the Tamil Nadu government, and the Rajyotsava Prashasti from the Government of Karnataka.

In 2013, she refused to accept the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award of the Government of India, saying it came too late. Janaki had also expressed that she deserved the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian award, for her contributions to music.

Her son, Murali Krishna, died on 22 January this year.

Expressing shock over Janaki's death, Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, in a post on X, said, “Through her golden voice, Janaki amma had found a place in the hearts and homes of millions. With the demise of this multilingual singing legend, the world of music has fallen silent with the loss of one of its most melodious voices. A mentor who encouraged and nurtured many singers, and the very embodiment of simplicity, Janaki amma's unparalleled voice will remain immortal in the cultural heritage of Karnataka forever”.