Legendary playback singer S Janaki dies at 88 after cardiac arrest

Legendary playback singer and four-time National Award winner S Janaki died on Saturday after suffering a cardiac arrest. She was 88.

Janaki, one of India's most celebrated voices, passed away at Apollo BGS Hospitals in Mysuru, where she had been admitted earlier in the day in a critical condition.

In a statement, the hospital said she was admitted at 12.49 pm and was immediately shifted to the Intensive Care Unit for intensive treatment and monitoring.

Despite sustained medical intervention, she suffered a cardiac arrest during treatment. Doctors initiated advanced cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but she experienced multiple cardiac arrests and could not be revived. She was declared dead at 7.30 pm, the hospital said.

The news was confirmed by her granddaughter, Apsara Vydyula, in an Instagram post.

"It is with profound sadness that I share the passing of my beloved grandmother and legendary singer, Smt. S. Janaki," she wrote, adding that the veteran singer passed away peacefully surrounded by her family.

Describing her grandmother as an iconic voice whose songs became part of millions of lives, Apsara thanked fans for their love and prayers while requesting privacy for the family during their time of grief.

Born into a family with a passion for music, S Janaki began her playback career at the age of 19 with the Tamil film Vidhiyin Vilayattu. Within her first year as a professional singer, she had recorded around 100 songs in six Indian languages, laying the foundation for a career that spanned several decades.

Widely admired for her extraordinary vocal range and versatility, Janaki was known for effortlessly modulating her voice to suit characters of different ages and emotions, making her one of the most distinctive playback singers in Indian cinema.

Over the course of her illustrious career, she recorded more than 48,000 songs in several Indian languages and received numerous honours, including four National Film Awards and 33 state film awards.

Her death marks the end of an era in Indian music, with tributes pouring in from across the film industry and among generations of admirers who grew up listening to her timeless songs.

With IANS inputs