Udit Narayanan and Kumar Sanu had won the Padma Shri in 2009, four years before S. Janaki was named for her first Padma award. Those popular crooners of North India were only two years old when the “Nightingale of the South” had begun her illustrious career in 1957.
And when a Padma award came her way, in her 75th year, she seemed more amused than honoured.
“The award has come but I have decided to refuse it,” a composed Janaki told reporters in Palakkad on Saturday.
Legends P. Bhaskaran, G. Devarajan and V. Dakshinamoorthy have not been yet been honoured with a Padma award. Raghavan Master was given a Padma Shri in 2010, when he was 97.
The musical genius of M.S. Viswanathan has never been acknowledged. MSV, who has composed music for nearly 800 films and who along with Naushad is widely believed to have given Indian film music tangible form, has not won even a national award. Janaki might have had all this in mind when she said: “There are great artistes in South India who need to be respected. It will be good if the government takes the trouble of honouring them.”