Veteran playback singer S. Janaki, celebrated as the "Nightingale of South India," passed away at the age of 88 in Mysuru after reportedly suffering a heart attack and battling age-related health issues. Over her distinguished six-decade career, Janaki was an incredibly prolific artist, recording approximately 48,000 songs in 17 languages, and was known for her impactful collaborations with renowned composers like Ilaiyaraaja, M. S. Viswanathan, and A. R. Rahman, solidifying her legacy as one of India's most celebrated and versatile playback singers, recognized with four National Film Awards.

Veteran playback singer S. Janaki, celebrated as the "Nightingale of South India," passed away at the age of 88 in Mysuru after reportedly suffering a heart attack and battling age-related health issues. Over her distinguished six-decade career, Janaki was an incredibly prolific artist, recording approximately 48,000 songs in 17 languages, and was known for her impactful collaborations with renowned composers like Ilaiyaraaja, M. S. Viswanathan, and A. R. Rahman, solidifying her legacy as one of India's most celebrated and versatile playback singers, recognized with four National Film Awards.

Veteran playback singer S. Janaki, celebrated as the "Nightingale of South India," passed away at the age of 88 in Mysuru after reportedly suffering a heart attack and battling age-related health issues. Over her distinguished six-decade career, Janaki was an incredibly prolific artist, recording approximately 48,000 songs in 17 languages, and was known for her impactful collaborations with renowned composers like Ilaiyaraaja, M. S. Viswanathan, and A. R. Rahman, solidifying her legacy as one of India's most celebrated and versatile playback singers, recognized with four National Film Awards.

Veteran playback singer S. Janaki, fondly known as the "Nightingale of South India," passed away at a private hospital in Mysuru on Friday. She was 88.

Janaki reportedly suffered a heart attack and was rushed to Apollo Hospital, where she breathed her last. She had also been battling age-related health issues.

Her granddaughter, Apsara Vydula, confirmed the news on her Instagram. She wrote in a post: “Dear everyone, It is with profound sadness that I share the passing of my beloved grandmother and legendary singer, Smt. S. Janaki. She left us peacefully, surrounded by the love of her family. While our hearts are heavy, we are also filled with gratitude for the extraordinary life she lived and the immeasurable joy she brought to millions through her timeless music.”

She further wrote: “To the world, she was an iconic voice whose songs became part of countless memories. To us, she was a loving grandmother whose warmth, humility, kindness, and grace will remain with us forever. We kindly request that you respect our family’s privacy during this difficult time as we grieve and come to terms with this loss. Thank you for your love, prayers, and understanding. Apsara Vydyula.”

One of India's most celebrated playback singers, during her six-decade career, Janaki recorded around 48,000 songs across 17 languages, including Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, Odia, Bengali, Marathi, Tulu, Urdu, Gujarati, Punjabi, Konkani, Assamese and Sindhi and some foreign languages. This included solo songs, duets and chorus numbers, making her one of the most prolific voices in Indian cinema.

She was renowned for her legendary collaborations with some of India's greatest composers, including Ilaiyaraaja, M. S. Viswanathan and A. R. Rahman, and left an indelible mark on the country's film music industry.

The song "Ettumanoorambalathil..." from the Malayalam film Oppol earned Janaki her first National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer in 1981. She won the National Award four times in total—twice for Tamil songs, once for the Malayalam song, and once for a Telugu song.

She also received the Kerala State Film Award for Best Playback Singer 11 times, the Andhra Pradesh government's award 10 times, the Tamil Nadu State Film Award seven times, and the Odisha State Award for Best Playback Singer once.