Speaking on the ocassion Sowcar Janaki who has acted in over 400 Tail, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi films in a career spanning nearly seven decades (and counting!) wowed audiences with her humility and charm.
The five women chosen by Mumbai's Fine Arts Society (FAS) for conferring its Stree Ratna 2019 awards had a collection of some of India's most formidable and venerated talents coming together. This included the almost nonagenarian veteran actor Sowcar Janaki, the dazzling danceuse, actor and parliamentrarian Dr Vyjayanthimala Bali, the silken voiced Dr K S Chithra, the country's leading Forensic Sciences expert Dr Rukmani Kirhsnamurthy and TV business journalist-anchor Dr Latha Venkatesh.
Speaking on the ocassion Sowcar Janaki who has acted in over 400 Tail, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi films in a career spanning nearly seven decades (and counting!) wowed audiences with her humility and charm. “I want to tell women seeking empowerment that it lies within and ascribing someone else the right to give it you puts them on a pedestal wrongfully,” she said and reminded the audience in chaste self-taught English how she had never seen the insides of a school ever. “I was married off at 15 and became a mother at 18. Soon after my first-born arrived I began acting and have never stopped to rest. It was a luxury I just couldn't afford given that I was the bread winner of the family,” said the actor who has been paired with leading men like NT Rama Rao, Nageshwara Rao, Sivaji Ganesan, Gemini Ganesan, MGR, Prem Nazir and Raj Kumar.
She spoke glowingly of her fellow awardees and reserved special compliments for Dr Bali who she admitted being very fond of. She also pulled up TV channels for “focussing more on nosie than news. They should tone down the negativity and speak of issues that touch people's lives.”
Responding to her honour Dr Bali thanked the audience. “Without your love and affection I wouldn't have come so far,” she said and added, “I also want to thank my elders who have guided and blessed me. God has been very kind in keeping his hand on my head.” The 83-year-old left the gathering spellbound an intricate ad graceful Bhararatnatyam performance with some really tough footwork after the awards were given. It must be mentioned here that she danced for the Pope at five and has performed in front of leading stalwarts like Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, and Indira Gandhi and Queen Elizabeth II and also danced at the UN's General Assembly in 1969 apart from leaving one of the most brilliant legacies on the silver screen in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi.
Dr Chithra who was the picture of humility as she spoke of her memories of performing at the Fine Art Society was beseiged with requests to sing a few lines in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi which she effortlessly rendered. In fact when she broke into the the A R Rahman's popular Kehana Hee Kya from Bombay the audience kept beat in unison with claps.
Academic counsel member of Gujarat Forensic Science University, Ex. Technical Advisor, Institute of Forensic Science, Govt. of Maharashtra Ex-director, Directorate of Forensic Science Laboratories, Govt. of Maharashtra, Ex. Senate Member Mumbai University, Dr Rukmani Krishnamurthy the eminent and renowned forensic scientist who brought about radical changes in Directorate of Forensic Science Laboratory, Govt. of Maharashtra by modernising six world class FSL and creating two new regional labs at Nasik in 2004, and Amravati in 2008 thanked FAS for the honour.
Both she and Dr Latha Venkatesh spoke glowingly of the support from their family and spouses which allows them to pursue their careers without a hitch.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Stree Ratna awards")
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}