Legendary Playback Singer S. Janaki Dies at 88 — CM Vijay Leads Tributes

Legendary playback singer S. Janaki, widely known as the "Nightingale of South India," died on July 11 at a hospital in Mysuru, Karnataka, at the age of 88, after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Born Sistla Sreeramamurthy Janaki in 1938, she recorded tens of thousands of songs across more than six decades in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi and several other Indian languages, making her one of the most prolific playback voices in Indian film history.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay expressed condolences, saying her death had caused immense sorrow and that she had left an indelible mark on Indian music through thousands of songs across languages.

Tributes poured in from political leaders, actors and musicians across the country, with several public figures describing her passing as an irreparable loss to the world of music and culture.

Janaki was celebrated for her versatility across genres and languages, and her songs are widely regarded as defining the sound of South Indian cinema for generations of listeners.