Veteran Actress Sowcar Janaki Dies at 94

Sowcar Janaki, one of the most durable performers in South Indian cinema, died on 21 August 2026 in Chennai. She was 94.

Her family said she died at 1:59 p.m. at a private hospital where she had been treated for age-related complications. She had been in intensive care.

Born Sankaramanchi Janaki in Rajamahendravaram on 12 December 1931, she made her film debut in the 1950 Telugu film Shavukaru directed by L.V. Prasad. The role gave her the lasting prefix "Sowcar." Over seven decades she appeared in more than 400 films in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam, plus extensive stage and television work.

Notable titles include Puthiya Paravai, Iru Kodugal, Thillu Mullu and Vettri Vizhaa in Tamil, and Rojulu Marayi, Kanyasulkam and Badi Panthulu in Telugu. She received the Padma Shri in 2022. Her final screen appearance was in the 2023 Telugu film Anni Manchi Sakunamule.

Kamal Haasan described her as a maternal figure: "She was the mother, I the child." Jr NTR and other actors issued tributes. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and other political leaders also expressed condolences. She is survived by three children, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Janaki once told an interviewer that life is uncertain and one should be prepared to exit when the curtain falls. Her career stretched from the early years of South Indian talkies into the 2020s, a span matched by few performers.