Sankaramanchi Janaki (born 12 December 1931), widely known as Sowcar Janaki, is an Indian actress known for her works in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada language films. Janaki has appeared in close to over 390, films, predominantly in Telugu. She also performed on stage in over 300 shows and was a radio artist during her earlier years. She is the recipient of two Nandi Awards, a Kalaimamani and India's fourth-highest civilian awardPadma Shri.[2] Her younger sister, Krishna Kumari, is also a noted actress.[3]
Janaki was born on 12 December 1931.[5] She is the elder daughter of Tekumalla Venkoji Rao and Sachi Devi of Rajahmundry.[6] Her younger sister is Krishna Kumari, a noted actress.[3] She was brought up in a Telugu-speaking family.[7] She completed her earlier studies from Gauhati University in Assam and received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Arizona. She has two daughters and a son.[8] Her granddaughter, Vaishnavi Aravind is also an actress who acted in several Tamil, Telugu and a few Malayalam movies, starting in 1987.[9][8]
Film career
Sowcar Janaki has been a prominent radio artist at "Aakashvani Madras" from the age of 14. She has also acted in Telugu plays penned by prominent authors like Dr. P.V. Rajamannar, Dr. Aarudra Padmaraju Atreya and others.[citation needed]
She made her debut at the age of 18, after her marriage, in 1949 with the film Shavukaru. She became a popular actress with hits in various languages between 1949 and 1975. Janaki had stated in an interview with Chitra Lakshmanan, that when she entered the movie world, there was V.N. Janaki (MGR's third wife) playing heroine roles. As such, to distinguish her from V.N. Jankai, producers came to tagged Sowcar in front of her name. Her lead heroine roles in Valayapathy (Tamil), Rojulu Marayi (Telugu), then in Tamil, such as Naan Kanda Sorgam, Kaviya Thalavi, Bhagya Lakshmi, Pallum Pazhamum, Paar Magale Paar, Thayikku Thalaimagan, Kumudham, Panam Paadithavan, Puthiya Paravai, Bama Vijayam, Oli Villaku, Ethir Neechal, Maanavan, Uyardha Manidhan, Nimarundhu Nil, Thunaivan, Needhi, Kaliyuga Kannan and Iru Kodugal (Tamil), with Kannada films such as Devakaanika, Saaku Magalu, Sadarame, Thayige Thakka Maga received popular recognition. Janaki's Malayalam debut Schoolmaster (1964) and with a film in Hindi - Teen Bahuraniyan. She worked with famous directors such as Dada Mirasi and K. Balachander.[citation needed]
Janaki moved to supporting roles after 1975 and her performances in Tamil films like Cinema Paithiyam, Thee, Thillu Mullu, Vetri Vizha, Puthu Puthu Arthangal, Kaanche and her performances in Telugu language films like Bezwada Bebbuli, Tayaramma Bangaraya, Samsaram Oka Chadarangam were widely appreciated. She even acted in Hindi films in supporting roles in Dosti Dushmani and Prem Geet. She served as jury member twice for the National Indian Films awards committee and as chair person for State Telugu Films awards committee.[citation needed]
She had essayed wide variety of roles throughout her 74 years career. The only other actors to have had such long careers in the field of acting in India were Dev Anand, Pran, Ashok Kumar, Akkineni Nageswara Rao and Kamini Kaushal[10] However, by 2016, her career span has overtaken most of the actors and she remains one of the few Indian actors with the longest career span.[citation needed]
She was the most comfortable on being paired with Sreekanth, Gemini Ganesan and Sivaji Ganesan repeatedly in Tamil films. She quoted in an interview on her pairing with Sivaji Ganesan, "He would compliment me in public using superlatives. I’d be thrilled! We would always rehearse together. If my character needed a little over-acting, he would tone down his and vice versa. It was a challenge working with the great actor! If they remember Sivaji Ganesan, they remember me".[11] She has done over 300 films in Kannada, Hindi, Malayalam and Telugu. She acted in supporting roles in films with M. G.Ramachandran as lead hero like Panam Padaithavan, Petralthan Pillaiya, Thaikku Thalaimagan, Oli Vilakku.[citation needed]
She actively participated in drama troupes and did live drama shows right from 1960, despite being a busy film star and continued doing so till 1995. In many of the dramas, she worked with co-star Srikanth.[citation needed]
Meena Durairaj, known professionally as Meena, is an Indian actress who predominantly works in South Indian films as well as Hindi cinema. She is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer. Meena has acted in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi films She is one of the most sought after actresses in the South Indian film industry. In addition to acting, Meena is also a playback singer, TV judge, and occasional dubbing artist. She has received numerous accolades, including two Filmfare Awards South, three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, two Nandi Award for Best Actress and Cinema Express Awards. In 1998, she was honoured with the Kalaimamani Award by Government of Tamil Nadu.
Bangalore Saroja Devi is an Indian actress who has acted in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films. She acted in around 200 films over seven decades. She is known by the epithets "Abhinaya Saraswathi" in Kannada and "Kannadathu Paingili" in Tamil. She is one of the most successful actresses in the history of Indian cinema.
Saritha is an Indian actress who has acted in more than 500 films in Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu languages. She was one of the popular and critically acclaimed lead actresses during the 1980s. She also appeared in a television serial, Selvi. She is also credited as a dubbing artist. She has dubbed her voice for Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Telugu movies for actresses like Nagma, Vijayashanti, Tabu, Sushmita Sen, Ramya Krishnan and Soundarya in 1990s.
Thoguluva Meenatchi Iyengar Soundararajan, popularly known as TMS, was an Indian Carnatic musician and a playback singer in Tamil cinema for over six and a half decades. He sang over 10,138 songs from 3,162 films, including devotional, semi-classical, Carnatic, classical and light music songs. He gave classical concerts starting in 1943.
Pandari Bai was an Indian actress who worked in South Indian cinema, mostly in Kannada cinema during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. She is considered Kannada cinema's first successful heroine. She has acted as both heroine and mother to stalwarts such as Rajkumar, M. G. Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan. She was the heroine in Rajkumar's debut movie Bedara Kannappa and also Sivaji's debut movie Parasakthi. She has acted in over 1,000 films in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. Bai was honoured by Kalaimamani from the Tamil Nadu government.
Sarada is an Indian actress and politician. Known for her work predominantly in Telugu films and Malayalam films, Sarada is the recipient of three National Awards. She has also appeared in few Tamil, Hindi as well as Kannada language films. She is also known as Urvasi Sarada – National Film Award for Best Actress was officially designated the Urvasi Award. She won three National Awards for her roles in Thulabharam (1968), Swayamvaram (1972), and Nimajjanam (1977). Sarada won the NTR National Award by the Government of Andhra Pradesh for her contributions to Indian cinema.
Saridey Varalakshmi was an Indian actress and singer who worked in Telugu and Tamil-language films. She was popular for her roles and songs in Telugu films like Sri Venkateswara Mahatyam (1960) and Mahamantri Timmarasu (1962) and Tamil films like Veerapandiya Kattabomman (1959) and in Poova Thalaiya (1969).
T. Krishna Kumari was an Indian actress. She worked predominantly in Telugu films, in addition to Tamil and Kannada films in the 1950s and 1960s. She was the sister of noted actress Sowkar Janaki.
K. Jamuna Rani is an Indian playback singer who has sung over 6,000 songs in Telugu, Sinhalese, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam languages.
Padmini Ramachandran was an Indian actress and trained Bharatanatyam dancer, who acted in over 250 Indian films. She acted in Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu and Russian language films. Padmini, with her elder sister Lalitha and her younger sister Ragini, were called the "Travancore sisters".
Shavukaru (transl. Businessman) is a 1950 Indian Telugu-language drama film directed by L. V. Prasad. The film was produced by Nagireddy and Chakrapani under the Vijaya Productions banner as their maiden production. It stars N. T. Rama Rao in his first leading role after having a brief appearance as a police officer in the film Mana Desam (1949), along with debutant Janaki too in her first leading role. The music composed by Ghantasala.
Dasari Yoganand was a South Indian film director.
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Kutty Padmini is an Indian actress who mainly works in Tamil cinema. She was a child star in her debut movie Abalai Anjugam (1959). She has also acted in Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi movies. She made her debut in Tamil cinema at the age of 3. She has acted with prominent personalities of Tamil cinema, including Sivaji Ganesan, M. G. Ramachandran, Gemini Ganesan, Jaishankar, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan. She was the first female artist from Tamil Nadu to win the National Film Award for Best Child Artist for the movie Kuzhandaiyum Deivamum.
Akka Chellelu is a 1970 Indian Telugu-language drama film, produced by V. B. Rajendra Prasad and directed by A. Sanjeevi. It stars Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Sowcar Janaki, Krishna and Vijaya Nirmala, with music composed by K. V. Mahadevan. The film was a remake of the Tamil film Akka Thangai (1969).
The 42nd Filmfare Awards South Ceremony honouring the winners of the best of South Indian cinema in 1994 is an event held on 23 September 1995 was an event held at the Kamaraj Hall, Madras.
K. R. Indira Devi (1949–2017) was an Indian actress who was active in Tamil Cinema during the latter half of the 20th century. She was well known for her supporting roles, but was also a successful dubbing artist. In a career spanning close to five decades, she acted in more than 250 films in the Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. Indira debuted as heroine in Konjum Kumari (1963). She was awarded the Kalaimamani by Government of Tamil Nadu.
The 33rd Filmfare Awards South ceremony honoring the winners of the best of South Indian cinema in 1985 was an event held on 10 August 1986 at Music Academy Chennai. The president of this year's function is Mr. A. C. Muthiah, the eminent industrialist.
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Thanjavur Damayanthi Kusalakumari was an Indian actress and dancer. She featured in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam language films.
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