- S Janaki was cremated with full state honours at her farmhouse in Kaniyanahundi
- She died at age 88 due to respiratory problems in a private hospital
- Granddaughter Apsara Vydyula performed the last rites, breaking tradition
Legendary playback singer S. Janaki was cremated with full state honours at her farmhouse in Kaniyanahundi on Sunday evening. The singer died at the age of 88 in a private hospital on Saturday evening following respiratory problems. What, however, transpired on the internet was people questioning her granddaughter Apsara Vydyula for not appearing teary-eyed as she performed the last rites.
Apsara has now taken to social media to share a long note addressing people 'questioning her grief'.
The Post
Responding to people who said they did not see her tears, Apsara wrote, "My grandmother's favourite person in the world was my elder sister, Varsha. They were so alike. They understood each other in a way that words could never fully explain. They were, in every sense, made for each other. I don't want the world to forget that Varsha is the one who should have been standing where I am today, taking care of our grandmother and doing everything that now falls upon me. She passed away in August 2023, and our family will never truly recover from that loss. Grief doesn't disappear. It simply becomes something you learn to carry for the rest of your life."
She continued. "Over the past few days, I have seen people question my grief because they do not see tears in my eyes. Please don't measure my love for my grandmother by the tears you do or do not see. We were taught, especially by her, to understand death from a deeply spiritual place. She taught us that love does not end when a life does. My experiences have made me stronger than I ever wished I had to be. Grief is not always loud. Sometimes it is quiet, steady and deeply personal."
"Being in the public eye often means living with rumours, speculation and stories that others create about your life. It can be painful to watch people form opinions about a family they have never truly known. I want people to know who my grandmother really was. She was gentle, kind, deeply humble and completely free of judgement. She saw the good in everyone. Varsha was exactly the same," she added.
The Last Rites
Janaki's granddaughter, Apsara Vydyula, performed the last rites by lighting her grandmother's funeral pyre as Vedic hymns were chanted. Carrying the earthen pot, she walked around the burning pyre as part of the rituals. Breaking with tradition, which has long been reserved for men, Apsara completed the final rites.
Apsara Vydyula is the daughter of Murali Krishna, Janaki's son, who died on 22 January this year.
Before being taken to Kaniyanahundi, Janaki's mortal remains were kept at Maharaja's College Grounds for public homage. Several actors, actresses, and playback singers from the Kannada and South Indian film industries, along with thousands of fans, paid their final respects.
Mysuru district in-charge minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah was also present on behalf of the Karnataka government to pay tribute to the late singer.
About S Janaki
Janaki was born on April 23, 1938, in Pallapatla in Andhra Pradesh's Guntur district. She later made Mysuru her home and, in keeping with her wishes, her last rites were performed in the royal city.
Known for her versatility, Janaki recorded more than 48,000 songs in multiple languages, mainly Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. During a career spanning over six decades, she sang for films, albums, television and radio in around 20 Indian languages, including Hindi, Odia, Tulu, Urdu, Punjabi and Bengali.
Fondly known as "Janaki Amma" by her disciples and admirers, she was widely celebrated as the 'Gana Kogile'. She began her singing career at the age of 19 with the Tamil film Vidhiyin Vilayattu (1957). Although she was immensely popular across South Indian languages, she is believed to have recorded the highest number of songs in Kannada. Her duets with legends such as P B Srinivas, S P Balasubrahmanyam and Dr Rajkumar remain evergreen favourites.
Janaki also sang in English, Japanese, German, and Sinhala. She won four National Film Awards and 33 state film awards. She was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Mysore, the Kalaimamani Award by the Tamil Nadu government, and the Rajyotsava Prashasti by the Karnataka government.
In 2013, she declined the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian honour, saying it had come too late.
Janaki had also said that she believed she deserved the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, for her contribution to music.
