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If music is an art that enriches the aesthetic zone, S. Janaki was the undisputed queen
Updated - July 12, 2026 04:45 pm IST S. Janaki, the legendary singer who had sung in 18 languages, predominantly in South Indian languages, passed away in Mysuru on Saturday (July 11, 2026), aged 88.Well-known for her versatility, S. Janaki won the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for “Senthoora Poove” from 16 Vayathinile, the debut directorial venture of Bharathiraja, who passed away last month.During a career spanning more than six decades, she worked with successive generations of composers, beginning with T. Chalapathi Rao, who introduced her to films, and later M.D. Parthasarathy, G. Ramanathan, M.B. Srinivasan, K.V. Mahadevan and M.S. Viswanathan.Having sung thousands of songs in multiple languages for nearly half a century, S. Janaki rejected the Padma Bhushan when it was conferred upon her in 2013, describing the award as having come too late for her.Janaki sang in Hindi and Sinhala too, but it was in the South Indian languages that she carved a niche. Her rendition was infused with love and pathos and was often a hat-tip to bygone times.Photo:
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