Ode to a Nightingale - Wishing S.Janaki on her birthday

By Saravanan Natarajan

Thou was not born for death, immortal bird!

No hungry generations tread thee down;
The voice I hear this passing night was heard
In ancient days by emperor and clown..

- John Keats (Ode to a Nightingale)

As S. Janaki celebrates her 78th birthday today, let us offer the remarkable singer our best wishes for a long life filled with good health and happiness….

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As she awakens on her birthday, what would be her thoughts, I wonder..… would she recall her late father-in-law who was untiring in his efforts to get her a foothold in the film industry, or would she pay mental obeisance to the late Chalapthi Rao who gave Janaki her first song… would she sigh over the first 20 years of her career when she had to wait in the sidelines in Tamil film music despite the few songs that came her way becoming hugely popular, or smile at the stupendous successes that she notched in Malayalam and Kannada during the same period, or will she think with joy of Ilaiyaraja and the unforgettable decades when she finally zoomed to the front ranks in Tamil film music as well and stayed ensconced there singing one marvel after another… would she recall the numbers that she sang for the young A.R. Rahman….would she remember the awards and accolades that have been bestowed upon her, including the much delayed Padmabhushan that she turned down with dignified disdain, or would she be lost in nostalgia thinking of the challenging compositions that she had sung with élan over the years, the generations of actresses from Vyjayanthimala to Vindiya she had sung for, the galaxy of venerable composers, gifted lyricists and talented singers she had worked with who are no longer around to watch her cross this milestone… or will she simply be filled with memories of the sleepy Pallapatla where it all began…

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Sishtla Janaki was born on April 23, 1938 in Pallapatla, an idyllic hamlet forming part of Repelle Taluk in Guntoor District. Nine children were born to her parents Sishtla Sriramamoorthi and Satyavathi, but only 4 daughters survived. Little Janaki was a vivacious, outgoing child, who was always curious to know more about anything that caught her fancy. She surprised her elders repeatedly with her keen powers of observation and assimilation. A traveling circus happened to visit Pallapatla, and Janaki watched with wide-eyed wonder the acrobats performing their nimble stunts. The very next day the child became the toast of the neighbourhood when she nonchalantly repeated many of the stunts she had seen, including turning cartwheels and ropewalking!

Music, of course, was her mainstay. From the tender age of three, Janaki used to spend hours by the radio, fascinated at the variety of music that spurted from the ‘magic box’. And more often than not, she managed to remember and sing the lines that she had listened to, irrespective of the language or genre. Her elder sister was enrolled to learn music under G. Paidiswami. (Besides being a reputed vocalist, Paidiswami was also a Nadaswaram exponent. Singer A.P. Komala had been under his tutelage for a few years) Janaki used to accompany her sister on her music lessons, more out of curiosity than any serious inclination. One day at class, when her sister could not recall the notes that she had been taught the previous day, the precocious Janaki sang them with effortless élan, much to the amazement of Paidiswami. The delighted Guru volunteered to teach the child and thus Janaki came to learn the rudiments of classical music.

However, she had hardly completed few months of basic music lessons with Paidiswami when the venerable teacher passed away. Janaki was back to listening to the radio and singing to herself all that she listened to. Janaki’s uncle (who later became her father-in-law as well), ‘mono actor’ and ‘fun doctor’ Vaidyula Chandrasekaram recognized the spark in the girl, and took it upon himself to secure for her the opportunities and recognition that she deserved. The first step was getting Janaki to sing on stage. Chandarsekaram was invited to present a program at the local men’s college, and he persuaded Janaki to render a song in between. When the dhaavani-clad sixteen-year-old girl appeared on the stage, whistles and catcalls filled the air. Anyone would have been intimidated at such a raucous reception, but Janaki was unfazed. She went on to sing Lata’s bewitching ‘Mera dil ye pukaare’ from Naagin. The audience sat in absolute silence, as though in a trance… and when she was done, the thunderous applause that greeted her was music to her ears…

In 1956 Janaki participated in a music competition held by All India Radio. The participants were asked to sing some classical compositions. Though bereft of formal training, Janaki won the second prize, receiving it from the hands of no less a person than the President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad. All this while, Chandrasekharam was unswerving in his efforts to get Janaki some more opportunities to showcase her singing skills. Janaki got married to Chadrasekaram’s son Vaidyula Ramaprasad during this time. Chandrasekharam wrote to the AVM Studios at Madras, telling them about Janaki’s talents. He received a reply from the Studios asking him to bring Janaki to Madras for an audition. So they traveled, uncle and niece, to distant Madras, the Mecca of their aspirations…

In Madras, Chandrasekaram took Janaki to the AVM Studios. After a voice test, she was found suitable and taken on the rolls as a staff artiste.

However, Janaki’s first movie song was not for an AVM movie- it was for a Tamil film called ‘Vidhiyin vilaiyaattu’. Tatineni Chalapati Rao was the composer who gave the nineteen year-old girl her very first movie song. The recording was slated between 9 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon on April 4, 1957. Janaki, who hardly knew a word of Tamil, sang her first ever film song ‘pedhai ennaasai paazhaanatheno'. The pathos filled number was followed by another sad song. And by 1, both songs were recorded. The members of Chalapati Rao’s orchestra, the audiographers and Chalapati Rao himself were astounded at the speed at which the young girl grasped the finer aspects of the notes, the nuances of the tune, the subtleties of the unfamiliar language and the meaning of the lines and, without a single retake, delivered the songs with the grace and ease of a seasoned stalwart. Unperturbed by the thought that she was an aspiring singer making her debut, Janaki even spontaneously incorporated a few sobs and sighs of her own into the rendition, winning the joyful approbation of the legendary composer.

However, to Janaki’s eternal regret, fate did play, and a cruel trick at that- ‘Vidhiyin vilaiyaattu’ proved a non-starter and the songs too were never released. The very next day, Janaki sang her first Telugu film song, for the movie ‘M.L.A.’ The recording was held at the Golden Studio. Written by Arudra, the song ‘Neeyasa adiyasa chejare manipusa’ was composed by Pendyala Nageswara Rao. Janaki’s co-singer was the redoubtable Ghantasala, and the song became immensely popular…Janaki’s first Tamil song to be released was ‘Kannukku nere minnidum thaarai’ for the movie ‘Magadalanaattu Mary’ (20.12.1957) composed by R. Parthasarathy.

She sang in Malayalam and Kannada soon ...and there was no looking back thereafter...

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Presenting here a bouquet of old favourites:

Malarodu vilaiyaadum from Deivabalam (1959) composed by Aswathama

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgxRGsHbVKc

Thenankeetru oonjalile from Paathai Theriyuthu Paar (1960) composed by M.B.Srinivasan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wplkczKa3Zg

Maasil veenaiyum from Paathai Theriyuthu Paar (1960) composed by M.B. Srinivasan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFUgMTIddt4

Kaalaiyum neeye from Then nilavu (1961) composed by A.M.Raja
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V-LxWfz-tE

Kannan mananilaiyai from Deivathin Deivam (1962) composed by G.Ramanathan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TtJG4fbA_A

Singara velane deva from Konjum Salangai (1962) composed by S.M.Subbiah Naidu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX0o-_EXA1I

Thookkam un kangalai from Aalayamani (1962) composed by MSV-TKR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-N6xTuQb88

Pon enben from Policekaran Magal (1962) composed by MSV-TKR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWAdXdnUPSY

En annai seitha paavam from Sumaithaangi (1962) composed by MSV-TKR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLky4knFpf0

Chinnachiriya vaana paravai from Kungumam (1963) composed by K.V. Mahadevan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS_DsFaQl28

Varusham maasam from Maniyosai (1963) composed by MSV-TKR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MX6ctNAZAQ

Podhigai malai from Thiruvilaiyaadal (1965) composed by K.V. Mahadevan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cQTRYIGI5I

Niniathaal podhum from Nenjirukkum Varai (1967) composed by MSV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qD-xjwNmLLY

Pournami nilavil from Kannippen (1969) composed by MSV- her first duet with SPB
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVG6S1Frq7I

Unnidathil ennai from Avalukkendru Oru Manam (1971) composed by MSV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7dEVNrIs20

Neer undu from Arutperunjothi (1971) composed by T.R.Papa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmpRvSwAQqQ

Azhagiaya megangal from Ganga Gowri (1973) composed by MSV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OavpmnFZ3k

Sollathaan ninaikiren from Sollathaan Ninaikiren (1973) composed by MSV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JfoFOnFTGU

Kaathalin pon veethiyil from Pookkaari (1973) composed by MSV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rkFiSBrsRI

Then sindhudhe vaanam from Ponnukku Thanga Manasu (1973 ) composed by G.K. Venkatesh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wsA2I9qEWo

Varuvaan mohanarooban from Ponoonjal (1973) composed by MSV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rATl1Kh-3A0

Konja neram ennai marandhen from Sirithu Vaazha Vendum (1974) composed by MSV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0RWHjy1W5Y

Ilamai naattiya saalai from Kalyanamaam Kalyanamaam (1974) composed by Vijayabhaskar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_RhVGxJheY

Pon oonjal katti from Thaai Pirandhaal (1974) composed by MSV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBuIxxISrfY

Malare kurinji malare from Dr.Siva(1975) composed by MSV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YCm11DX3wg

Annakkiliye unai theduthe from Annakkili (1976) composed by Ilaiyaraja
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtd_9LkMxig