Actress Saukar Janaki, one of the most respected personalities of South Indian cinema, died on Friday, August 21, at the age of 94. After her health deteriorated due to age-related health problems, the actress was admitted to a hospital in Chennai, where she died during treatment. The actress had acted for a long time in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada language films.
When did you die?
Saukar Janaki breathed his last at 1:59 pm. His death was confirmed by Nadigar Sangam president and actor Nassar. Nassar said in a statement, ‘Veteran actress Saukar Janaki (94) has passed away. His mortal remains will be kept at Santosh Road, Teyampet from 5 pm onwards.
Who was Saukar Janaki?
Born in a family in Andhra Pradesh, Janaki began her acting career at a time when opportunities for women in Indian cinema were very different from what they are today. In 1950 he met L.V. Debuted in Telugu cinema with the film ‘Shavukaru’ directed by Prasad. This film proved to be a turning point in his career and from this film he got the nickname of ‘Saukar’ Janaki, which remained with him throughout his life.
Two years later, he made his debut in Tamil cinema in 1952 with the film Valayapati. From there, Janaki worked extensively in the South Indian film industries and established herself as a versatile artist capable of playing a variety of roles. She acted in more than 400 films in her career, making her one of the longest-running actresses of Indian cinema.
When did you start your career?
Having started her acting career in 1950, she continued to appear on screen till the 21st century. From lead roles in his youth to memorable character roles in his later years, his spontaneity helped him maintain his presence in South Indian cinema across generations.
He also ventured into television. Her last appearance on television was in the 2013 Telugu serial Varudhini Parinayam. Even after this, she continued to appear occasionally in films. Her last Tamil film was Biskoth, released in 2020, while her most recent film was the Telugu film Anni Manchi Sakunamule, released in 2023, directed by Nandini Reddy.
In her long career, Janaki made important contributions to Indian cinema. He was awarded the Kalaimamani Award in 1969 and the Padma Shri in 2022 for his contribution to cinema.