Potpourri of titbits about cinema - Sowcar Janaki

Q: What are your favorite books?

A: Biography of great men and scholars and books on the art of cooking.

Q: What is it that you respect the most?

A: Self-respect … I like those who are courteous and deserve courtesy. And, I appreciate those who talk less. I feel proud of those who live a disciplined life. I’ve lot of respect for such people.

Q: What attracts you most?

A: Simplicity

Q: What do you consider as natural beauty in women?

A: : Preserving their looks given by God and living a good life and not attempting to get the ‘impossible’.
The interaction, lasting for two and a half hours proved very useful and interesting. Sowcar’s useful replies offered food for thought. Sowcar was really very happy with the way I arranged the interaction. When I met her after a long gap, she frankly told me the differences in the present-day field and that of yesteryears. “In those days, only those who can sing well could enter cinema. And, they were required to pronounce words correctly with proper spacing. Women artistes should be able to dance also. Above all, the heroines should look very beautiful. But today, nothing is required to enter cinema! Only one film out of hundred is worth seeing. Kamalhasan deserves all praise, he has no equal. He identifies himself with his character, brings out novel changes in his appearance through a highly-advanced technique in make-up! Balachander, Maniratnam, Bharathiraja and Bagyaraj are very intelligent in that they adapt light themes to suit the taste of the day and give good films. But many directors make films that contain unacceptable and unrealistic turns and scenes, wrongly believing that people want films of that type only. Vulgarity is becoming more pronounced,” Sowcar said openly with so much concern in her voice.

Q: Which of your films are your favorites?

A: I accepted offers only because I liked the movies and the storyline as well. I like all my films. ‘Paalum pazhamum’, ‘Paar magalae paar’, ‘Uyarntha manithan’, ‘Pudhiya paravai’, ‘Panam pataiththavan’, ‘Oli vilakku’, ‘Ethir neechal’, ‘Iru kodugal’, ‘Kaaviya thalai’, ‘Rangaraattinam’ etc. are films which I enjoyed the most while doing.

Sowcar Janaki has settled down in Bangalore today. She is spiritually inclined and she visits her grandchildren regularly at Chennai. She celebrated her 79th birthday on 12.12.2010 with her large family at Chennai in a simple way. Let us all wish her a wholesome long life.