Nandini Reddy Recalls Directing Sowcar Janaki Final Film Anni Manchi Sakunamule After Her Death

Veteran actor Sowcar Janaki died on August 21 at the age of 94 in Chennai. The actor who starred in numerous Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam films was hospitalised at a private hospital briefly before her death. Nandini Reddy, who directed her final film, paid a moving tribute to her on social media.

“This grand old lady of Indian cinema was the most affectionate and most professional artist I have ever had the privilege of working with,” wrote the emotional filmmaker who recently directed Samantha Ruth Prabhu's Maa Inti Bangaaram, adding, “She told us stories , cooked and fed us all while doing her work as immaculately as she spoke . Independent , outspoken , articulate and most benevolent….. amma we were blessed to share a small part of your journey…… farewell.”

Anni Manchi Sakunamule starred Santosh Sobhan and Malvika in lead roles along with Rajendra Prasad, Rao Ramesh, Naresh, and Gautami. In the film, Janaki played a character named after her, an adoptive grandmother to the lead character. It was the last time she was ever seen on screen. Janaki’s last Tamil film, Biskoth, her 400th film, was released in 2020. Directed by R Kannan, the film was a parody.

Janaki began her career in 1950 with the Telugu film Shavukaru, which earned her the moniker ‘Sowcar’. It was directed by LV Prasad and starred NT Rama Rao in the lead role. Her Tamil debut was in 1952 with TR Sundaram’s Valayapathi. Janaki soon skyrocketed to stardom and was sought after for films in various languages.

Interestingly, Janaki made a name for herself after marrying and having children. Her parents married her off as a minor to Sankaramanchi Srinivasa Rao, and she was pregnant while writing her matriculation exams. Janaki did not just graduate from high school; she also graduated from Gauhati University in Assam. She worked as a radio jockey for Aakashavani Madras (All India Radio) when she was very young.

Janaki and Srinivasa Rao had two daughters and a son. Her sister and granddaughter followed in her footsteps, becoming actors. Vijay, Kamal Haasan, Jr NTR, Chiranjeevi and several others paid tributes after her death.

Despite having a Master's degree in Journalism and over a decade of experience in print and digital media as a field reporter and sub-editor at organisations such as The Times of India and Reader's Digest, Neeshita Nyayapati remains a movie buff first and a Chief Content Producer second. She fell in love with movies in childhood and believes nothing matches the magic of watching a good film that moves you with a warm tub of popcorn in hand. Her love for writing about cinema follows that. Come Friday, you'll find her at her happy place, the movies, catching the latest rom-com or masala offering, for reviews or otherwise. As for the rest of the week, she's here reporting the juiciest news in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi or bringing out the best of celebs in interviews. While her niche is Telugu cinema, Neeshita likes to dabble in a little bit of everything to stay up to date. From film announcements to scandals and hard news angles, she has explored it all. A good book, a comforting cup of hot chocolate, puppy kisses and a stunning beach view are all she needs to unwind. Her passion for biking and travelling has taken her to various places across the country. She has found peace in everything from the frozen lakes of Gangtok to the coffee plantations of Coorg and the dense forests of Bandipur, to the monasteries of Darjeeling. But no matter where she goes, Neeshita loves coming across inspiring and moving stories.Read More