Veteran actor Sowcar Janaki, celebrated for her memorable presence in films such as Pudhiya Paravai, died on August 21, 2026 in Chennai. She had been admitted to a private hospital due to age-related health complications.
Born as Janaki on December 12, 1931, she hailed from a traditional family and studied in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh. Before entering cinema, she worked with All India Radio.
Her screen journey began with the Telugu film Sowcar (1950), produced by B. N. Reddy and directed by L. V. Prasad. The film’s success led to the prefix “Sowcar” becoming part of her identity, and she went on to be widely known as Sowcar Janaki.
She made her Tamil debut with Valayapathi (1952), directed by T. R. Sundaram under Modern Theatres, and later acted in nearly 400 films across South Indian languages and a few Hindi films. She shared the screen with leading stars including N. T. Rama Rao, A. Nageswara Rao, MGR, Sivaji Ganesan, Gemini Ganesan, Rajkumar and Prem Nazir.
A turning point in her career came with Pudhiya Paravai (1964), produced by Sivaji Films, followed by acclaim for Iru Kodugal (1969) directed by K. Balachander. She also proved her range through films like Ethir Neechal and Thillu Mullu, taking on character and comedy roles, and was noted for dubbing in her own voice with accurate pronunciation in each language. She is survived by two daughters and a son; her husband Sankaramanchi Srinivasa Rao had predeceased her.
