Sowcar Janaki


Sankaramanchi Janaki, widely known as Sowcar Janaki, is an Indian actress known for her works in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada films. In a career spanning over seven decades, Janaki has appeared in nearly 400 films. She also performed on stage in over 300 shows and was a radio artist during her earlier years. She is the recipient of two Nandi Awards, a Kalaimamani, and India's fourth-highest civilian award, Padma Shri. Her younger sister, Krishna Kumari, was also a noted actress.
She was featured in the first Kannada pan-Indian film Mahishasura Mardini alongside Dr. Rajkumar, which was released in 1959, making her one of the first leading pan-Indian actresses.

Personal life

Janaki was born on 12 December 1931. She is the elder daughter of Tekumalla Venkoji Rao and Sachi Devi of Rajahmundry. Her younger sister, Krishna Kumari, is a noted actress. She was born in a Kannada-speaking Madhva Brahmin family. She completed her early studies at Gauhati University in Assam and received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Arizona. She has two daughters and a son. Her granddaughter, Vaishnavi Aravind is also an actress who appeared in several Tamil, Telugu and a few Malayalam films, starting in 1987.

Film career

Janaki made her debut in the L. V. Prasad directed Telugu film Shavukaru in 1950, which got her the moniker ‘Sowcar’. She made her Tamil debut in 1952 with Valayapathi. She became a prominent actress with hits in different languages as the lead heroine.
Some of her Tamil famous films include Panam Paduthum Padu, Puthiya Paravai, Neerkumizhi, Mahakavi Kalidas, Edhir Neechal, Iru Kodugal, Uyarndha Manithan, Kaviya Thalaivi, Ranga Rattinam, Thillu Mullu, Vettri Vizhaa, Devi, Hey Ram, among others.
Some of her notable Telugu films include Rojulu Marayi, Kanyasulkam, Jayam Manade, Panduranga Mahatyam, Doctor Chakravarty, Akka Chellelu, Badi Panthulu, Tayaramma Bangarayya, Samsaram Oka Chadarangam and Devi, among others.
She has participated in more than 3000 stage plays, and her contributions to the arts are numerous.
She has received multiple state awards from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh governments.
In 2020, Sowcar was seen in her 400th movie, Biskoth.
In 2022, Sowcar Janaki has been honoured with Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award by the Government of India.

Awards

She has received several awards. Some notable ones are given below:

Filmography

YearFilmRoleLanguageNotes
1950ShavukaruSubbuluTeluguDebut film
1952ValayapathiSathyavathiTamilDebut Tamil film
1952AdarsamTelugu
1953Pichi PullayyaVasanthaTelugu
1953PrapanchamTelugu
1954DevakannikaKannada
1954Panam Paduthum PaduTamil
1954Vaddante DabbuSarojaTelugu
1955Rojulu MarayiRadhaTelugu
1955Bhagya ChakraKannada
1955Adarsha SathiKannada
1955KanyadhanamTelugu
1955Asai Anna Arumai ThambiTamil
1955Ezhayin AasthiTamil
1955Pasupu KumkumaTelugu
1955Cherapakura ChedevuLalithaTelugu
1955DevakannikaaKannada
1955Kaalm Maari PochuTamil
1955Beedhala AasthiTelugu
1955KanyasulkamBuchammaTelugu
1956Charana DaasiSarojaTelugu
1956Sonta OoruLakshmiTelugu
1956Illarame InbamTamil
1956Edi NijamRaamiTelugu
1956SadarameKannada
1956Jayam ManadeTelugu
1956Sontha VooruTelugu
1956Vetri VeeranTamil
1956SadaramaTelugu
1956BhagyodayaKannada
1956Naga DevathaiTamil
1956Naga ChavithiTelugu
1957Bhagya RekhaKathyainiTelugu
1957Panduranga MahatyamTelugu
1957Bhale BavaTelugu
1957Rathnagiri RahasyaKannada
1958School MasterGeethaKannada
1958Veettukku Vandha VaralakshmiTamil
1958MundaduguTelugu
1958ThammuduRaniTelugu
1958Ganga Gauri SamvadamTelugu
1958Nalla Idathu SammandhamRathinamTamil
1959Kaveriyin KanavanTamil
1959Mahishasura MardhiniGunavatiKannada
1959Abalai AnjugamTamil
1959MadhaviTamil
1959Raja SevaiTamil
1959Raja Malaya SimhamTamil
1959Raja Malaya SimhaTelugu
1959Thamarai KulamTamil
1959Ulagam SirikkirathuSellathayiTamil
1959Rechukka PagatichukkaRajakumariTelugu
1959Aval YaarVijaya/PonniTamil
1960Sri Venkateswara MahatyamYerukala SaaniTelugu
1960Kadeddulu Ekaram NelaSeetaTelugu
1960Naan Kanda SorgamMeenakshiTamil
1960Chavukkadi ChandrakanthaTamil
1960Chinna MarumagalTamil
1960Paavai VilakkuGowriTamil
1960RevathiTamil
1960Padikkadha MedhaiTamil
1961BhagyalakshmiKamalaTamil
1961KumudhamKumudhaaTamil
1961BatasariShantiTelugu
1961Palum PazhamumNaliniTamil
1961Kaanal NeerShantiTamil
1962Paarthaal Pasi TheerumJanakiTamil
1962AnnaiSeethaTamil
1962Daiva LeeleKannada
1962DevasundariKannada
1962Manchi ManasuluRadhaTelugu
1962Vadivukku Valai KappuTamil
1963Irugu PoruguKanchanamalaTelugu
1963AnuragamTelugu
1963Sathi ShakthiKannada
1963Malli MaduveKannada
1963KanyarathnaShanthaKannada
1963GowriKannada
1963Aasai AlaigalTamil
1963Paar Magale PaarLakshmiTamil
1963Saaku MagaluKannada
1963Pempudu KuthuruManjulaTelugu
1963Kadavulai KandenTamil
1963Savati KodukuJanakiTelugu
1964Puthiya ParavaiChitra & SarasaTamil
1964Dr. ChakravarthiNirmalaTelugu
1964Desa DrohuluKarunaTelugu
1964School MasterJohny's wifeMalayalam
1964Navakoti NarayanaSaraswatiKannada
1964Pachai VilakkuParvathiTamil
1964AlliAlliTamil
1964Peetala Meeda Pelli Telugu
1965Manchi KutumbamShanthaTelugu
1965DevataHerselfTelugu
1965NaanalSavitriTamil
1965Panam PadaithavanRamaTamil
1965Neerkumizhi Dr. IndraTamil
1966Petralthan PillaiyaJeevaTamil
1966Mahakavi KalidasPrinceTamil
1966Motor Sundaram PillaiFirst wifeTamil
1967Bama VijayamParvathiTamil
1967Kan Kanda DaivamTamil
1967Pesum DheivamGuest roleTamil
1967Thaikku ThalaimaganGauwriTamil
1968Oli VilakkuShantiTamil
1968Lakshmi KalyanamParvathiTamil
1968Enga Oor RajaSivakamiTamil
1968Teen BahuraniyanParvatiHindi
1968JeevanaamsamJanakiTamil
1968Ethir NeechalPattuTamil
1968Uyarndha ManidhanVimalaTamil
1968Undamma Bottu PedataTelugu
1968ChakkaramMeenakshiTamil
1968Thirumal PerumaiKumuthavalliTamil
1968ArunodayaKannada
1968Manchi KutumbamShanthaTelugu
1968Bhale KodalluParvathiTelugu
1968Chinnari PapaluParvathiTelugu
1968Evaru MonagaduLakshmiTelugu
1968ManassakshiGuest appearanceKannada
1969Iru KodugalJanakiTamil
1969Kaaval DheivamAlamelTamil
1969NiraparaadhiKannada
1969Akka ThangaiJanakiTamil
1969ThunaivanMarathagamTamil
1969Kuzhandhai UllamTamil
1970Kaaviya ThalaiviDevi & KrishnaTamil
1970Nadu IravilRaniTamil
1970KanmalarVadivuTamil
1970Kasturi ThilakamTamil
1970MaanavanTamil
1970PaadhukaappuParvathiTamil
1970Dharma DaataZamindar's wifeTelugu
1970Akka ChelleluJanakiTelugu
1970Inti GowravamTelugu
1970Rendu Kutumbala KathaTelugu
1971BabuParvathiTamil
1971RangarattinamTamil
1972ThiruneelakandarLeelavathiTamil
1972NeedhiSeethaTamil
1972Appa TataTamil
1972DeivamVedhammaiTamil
1972Thanga ThuraiTamil
1972Badi PanthuluRadhaTelugu
1972PrajanayakuduTelugu
1973Pasa DheebamTamil
1973School MasterTamil
1973Khaidi BabuTelugu
1973Oka Naari Vandha ThupakuluTeacher and Narrator of the storyTelugu
1973Engal Thanga RajaSeethaTamil
1974Kaliyuga KannanTamil
1974Swargathil ThirumanamTamil
1974Ram RaheemLakshmiTelugu
1975Manithanum DeivamagalamValliTamil
1975Cinema PaithiyamTamil
1975Pinju ManamTamil
1975Nalla MarumagalTamil
1975Uravukku Kai KoduppomTamil
1975Naaku Swatantram VachindiTelugu
1975Devudulanti ManishiTelugu
1975BalipeetamTelugu
1975Vemulavada BhimakaviTelugu
1976DasavataramTamil
1976Idhaya MalarRajamTamil
1976Nalla PenmaniTamil
1976Athirishtam AzhaikkirathuTamil
1976Perum PukhazhumTamil
1976Ramarajyamlo RakthapasamTelugu
1976ManasakshiTelugu
1976PremabandhamTelugu
1977Olimayamana EthirkalamTamil
1978Thayige Thakka MagaKumar's adopted motherKannada
1978Devadasu Malli PuttaduAruna's sisterTelugu
1978Athani Kante GhanuduTelugu
1978Anbin AlaigalTamil
1978Kannan Oru Kai KuzhandhaiTamil
1978Chal Mohana RangaTelugu
1978Iddaru AsadhyuleJanakiTelugu
1979Tayaramma Bangarayya TayarammaTelugu
1979Samajaniki SavalTelugu
1979Rangoon RowdyJanakiTelugu
1979Ravanude Ramudayithe?MahalakshmiTelugu
1979Pattakkathi BhairavanArjunan's motherTamil
1980PappuHerselfMalayalam
1980Aarada GaayaKannada
1980Gopala Rao Gari Ammayi JanakiTelugu
1981TheeSeethaTamil
1981GeethaMuktaKannada
1981Kula PuthraGuest appearanceKannada
1981Prem GeetMrs. Laxmi BhardwajHindi
1981Thillu MulluMeenakshi DuraiswamyTamil
1981Kula KozhunthuThambi Durai's motherTamil
1981VaaralabbaiTelugu
1981Parvathi ParameswaruluParvathiTelugu
1981Puli BiddaAnnapoornaTelugu
1981JagamondiAnnapoornaTelugu
1982Edi Dharmam Edi Nyayam?Telugu
1982Neethi Devan MayakkamTamil
1983Bezawada BebbuliTelugu
1983RajakumarTelugu
1983Aalaya SikharamTelugu
1983Onde GuriKannada
1984ChiranjeeviTamil
1984Kode TrachuGovernessTelugu
1984Kai Kodukkum KaiKaalimuthu's sister-in-lawTamil
1985Pachani KapuramMaliniTelugu
1985KongumudiTelugu
1986Dosti DushmaniSumitra SinghHindi
1986Krishna GaradiTelugu
1986AakrandanaLawyer JanakiTelugu
1987GouthamiSharada DeviTelugu
1987Samsaram Oka ChadarangamChilakammaTelugu
1987MajnuAlekhya's motherTelugu
1987Thayaramma Thandava KrishnaTelugu
1987Murali KrishnuduMurali Krishna's grandmotherTelugu
1987Brahma NaiduTelugu
1987Sardar Krishnamma NaiduTelugu
1987AnandTamil
1987VairagyamAnnapooraniTamil
1987Muddu BiddaTelugu
1988Aadade AadharamTelugu
1988Neti SwatantramTelugu
1989Thendral PuyalanadhuTamil
1989SivaSiva's motherTamil
1989GeethanjaliChancellorTelugu
1989Pudhu Pudhu ArthangalGoa residentTamil
1989Vetri VizhaShirley's auntTamil
1989Swara KalpanaTelugu
1991AzhaganDoctorTamil
1992Soorya ManasamMariyaMalayalam
1993Manavarali PelliJanakiTelugu
1993MadamSarada DeviTelugu
1994Todi KodalluTelugu
1997Nenu PremisthunnanuRachna's motherTelugu
1997SubhakankshaluSitaramaiah's wifeTelugu
1998Bavagaru Bagunnara?Swapna's grandmotherTelugu
1998KondattamJanakiTamil
1998ThodarumSeetha's grandmotherTamil
1998Thayin ManikodiTamil
1999DeviVijay's grandmotherTelugu
1999Anbulla KadhalukkuTamil
1999Chinna RajaKarthik's grandmotherTamil
1999Ravoyi ChandamamaSasi's grandmotherTelugu
2000Hey RamMythili's grandmotherTamil
2000ShabdavedhiSandeep's motherKannada
2003Ela CheppanuPriya's grandmotherTelugu
2003AbhiJankiKannada
2003AbhimanyuSaira Bhanu's grandmotherTelugu
2007AmoolyamTelugu
2014Vanavarayan VallavarayanKrishna's & Anand's grandmotherTamil
2014Pungi DaasaGayatri DeviKannada
2015Yevade SubramanyamSusheelaTelugu
2015KancheSitadevi's grandmotherTelugu
2015SoukhyamModern BammaTelugu
2016Babu BangaramSailaja's grandmotherTelugu
2019ThambiParvathy and Saravanan's grandmotherTamil
2020BiskothJanaki PaatiTamil
2023Anni Manchi SakunamuleJanakiTelugu