Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has requested the Karnataka government to perform the last rites of playback singer S. Janaki with full state honours in Mysuru on Sunday. The celebrated artist, who died on Saturday at age 87, was born in Repalle, Bapatla district.
Mr. Naidu called her death an irreparable loss to music and said her voice would continue to inspire future generations.
Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan described her as a leading Telugu female singer whose melodious voice earned four National Awards and ten Nandi Awards. He noted that Telugu audiences would remember her songs in films including Nireekshana, Srivariki Premalekha, Swathimuthyam, Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari, Pratighatana and Anthapuram.
YSR Congress president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed sadness at the loss of a voice that reached millions across languages, adding that her melodies would endure.
Human Resource Development Minister Nara Lokesh said she had recorded more than 48,000 songs and that her contribution to Indian film music would remain eternal.
Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh recalled her six-decade career of nearly 50,000 songs in several languages and her titles “Gaana Kokila” and “Nightingale of South India.”
BJP state president P.V.N. Madhav also paid tribute, noting her four National Film Awards and 31 state awards.
S. Janaki is regarded as one of Indian cinema’s greatest playback singers, with a career spanning more than six decades across multiple languages.
