Deekshitula Subrahmanyam Rajamahendravaram

Thepassing of veteran actress Sowcar Janaki in Chennai on Friday has brought back memories of her close association with Rajamahendravaram, the city where she was born and grew up before embarking on a remarkable journey that made her one of the most respected actresses in South Indian cinema. Janaki died in Chennai at the age of 94 following age-related ailments, bringing the curtain down on a career spanning more than seven decades. She acted in nearly 400 films in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam and remained active in cinema and on stage for several generations.

For Rajamahendravaram, her story has a special significance. Born Sankaramanchi Janaki on December 12, 1931, she belonged to a Kannada-speaking Madhwa Brahmin family. Her parents were T Venkoji Rao and Sachi Devi. Janaki was brought up in Rajahmundry, where her early years were shaped by the cultural atmosphere along the banks of the Godavari. They reside in the Papermill officers’ colony at that time.

Her father, Venkoji Rao, was a paper industry specialist. He studied paper manufacturing and chemical engineering in England and later worked in the paper industry.

His professional career brought the family to Rajahmundry, where Janaki spent her formative years.

Her mother, Sachi Devi, hailed from Guwahati in Assam. Though the family had links with different parts of the country, Rajahmundry became an important part of Janaki’s early life. According to sources, the family lived in the papermill officers’ colony and an old building opposite the Gokavaram bus stand area in the city at that time.

The artistic atmosphere around the family gradually found expression in Janaki. She was drawn to performance from a young age and became associated with radio programmes before entering films. Her younger sister Krishna Kumari too went on to become a celebrated actress, making the family’s connection with cinema even more remarkable.

Janaki entered the film industry in 1949, and her breakthrough came with the 1950 Telugu film Shavukaru, directed by LV Prasad.

She played the female lead opposite NT Rama Rao. The success of the film gave her the name by which generations of film lovers came to know her, Sowcar Janaki.

According to veteran film actor and noted stage musician of Rajamahendravaram, Sripada Jith Mohan Mitra, Janaki’s family left Rajamahendravaram for Calcutta in 1948, when she was around 17 years old.

He said that she did not return to Rajamahendravaram later for film shootings or stage performances. He expressed his condolences for her. He praised that her contribution was not confined to cinema. She performed extensively on stage and was associated with radio in her early years. Her career spanned more than seven decades.

Her long career brought several honours, including the Kalaimamani award from the Tamil Nadu Government and the Padma Shri from the Government of India in 2022.

Janaki’s death has been mourned across the film industry, but in Rajamahendravaram the memories are especially personal. The city remembers not only a celebrated actress who went on to make her mark across South Indian cinema, but also the young girl who grew up along the banks of the Godavari before her name became part of Indian film history.