Clarifying that her decision was not a protest against the Centre, Janaki added, “I have no complaint towards the government. I don’t think the government has done anything wrong. But I have decided to refuse the Padma award.” Her son, Murali Krishna, had echoed her sentiment, saying the recognition had come “too late” in her remarkable career. He had also revealed that the family had not been informed in advance about the honour and learnt about it from others.
At the time, Janaki was already a four-time National Award winner and had received numerous state honours. Yet, she maintained that the unwavering love of audiences across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi and several other languages remained her greatest achievement.
Thirteen years later, following her demise, Janaki’s words have gained renewed significance. Tributes from across the Indian film fraternity poured in, with actors, filmmakers, musicians and political leaders remembering not just her unparalleled voice, but also her humility and unwavering conviction.