Bhubaneswar: "Kalia Asila, Bhai, Kalia Asila..."

As millions of devotees await the divine reappearance of Lord Jagannath from the sacred Anasara Ghara, where the Holy Trinity has been recuperating after the annual Snana Purnima, and prepare to welcome the Lord onto the Bada Danda during Netrotsava and Nabajouban Darshan before the grand Rath Yatra on July 16, the immortal voice that made generations of Odias emotionally relive that joyous moment has itself journeyed into eternity.

The singer behind the evergreen devotional classic "Kalia Asila Bhai, Kalia Asila..." – a song that has become inseparable from Odisha's Jagannath consciousness – legendary playback singer S. Janaki passed away on Saturday at the age of 88, bringing to close one of the most extraordinary chapters in Indian playback singing.

Revered across India as the "Nightingale of South India," S. Janaki leaves behind an unparalleled musical legacy.

For Odisha, however, she was much more than a celebrated South Indian vocalist. During the **golden era of Odia film music – from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s – **the non-Odia singer became one of the defining voices of the industry, delivering chartbusters that continue to resonate across generations.

Her flawless pronunciation, emotional depth and effortless ability to internalise the soul of every lyric made audiences forget that Odia was not her mother tongue.

A Voice That Became Part of Odisha's Musical Heritage

Although her Odia repertoire was comparatively small against her colossal national discography, every song she rendered became memorable.

Among her most celebrated Odia numbers are "Chora Chora Priti" (Mana Akasha, 1974), "Bandhe Prema Mayi" and "Bata Bhooli Asila" (Sakhi Gopinath), "Ja Ja Jare Nagara" (Bandhu Mohanty), "Manara Manisha Jadi" (Rakta Golapa), "Na Na Dure Raha Na" and "Kau Dhana" (Sautuni), "Chu Na Mote" (Aliva Daga), "E Mana Khoje Jaha" (Bilwamangala), "Aji Kohla" (Ram Rahim), and devotional gems from Shree Jagannath, including "Kalia Asila Bhai Kalia Asila," "Charana Kamala Bande," "Seta Bhakata Bhabare Bandha," and the duet "Tike Chhai Tike Laja."

Many of these songs remain staples of Odia radio, television and devotional playlists, surviving decades after their original release.

The Trend She Set in Odia Music

S. Janaki's greatest contribution to Odia music was not merely the number of songs she sang but the new standard of expressive playback singing she established.

She transformed playback singing into voice acting. Rather than merely rendering melodies, she shaped every song around the emotional identity of the character on screen. Her remarkable ability to alter tone, texture, pitch and expression gave each composition a distinctive personality.

In devotional music, she introduced an intimacy rarely heard before. Instead of portraying divinity from a distance, she sang as though conversing personally with Lord Jagannath, making songs like "Kalia Asila Bhai" deeply emotional rather than merely devotional.

Despite being a non-native speaker, she painstakingly mastered Odia pronunciation, proving that linguistic sincerity could transcend regional boundaries. In doing so, she inspired composers to increasingly collaborate with singers beyond Odisha while insisting on authenticity in diction and emotion.

The Visionaries Who Brought Janaki to Odisha

S. Janaki's Odia journey began with "Chora Chora Priti" from the 1974 film Mana Akasha, composed by Upendra Kumar, a melody that introduced her to Odia audiences.

Among all the composers she worked with in Odisha, Upendra Kumar remains her most significant collaborator.

Born in Digapahandi in Odisha's Ganjam district, Upendra Kumar built an illustrious career in the Kannada film industry, where he composed music for numerous acclaimed films. Yet, he never lost touch with his homeland. Returning frequently to Odisha, he enriched the state's cinema with unforgettable melodies in films such as Dharitri, Mana Akasha, Punarmilana and Kavi Samrat Upendra Bhanja, helping define the golden age of Odia film music. His collaboration with Janaki demonstrated how regional boundaries could disappear before musical excellence.

Beyond Upendra Kumar, Janaki collaborated with nearly every major Odia composer of the era, including Akshaya Mohanty, Prafulla Kar, Basudeb Rath, and Dhananjaya Satapathy. Together, they created some of the most cherished romantic, devotional and emotional songs in Odia cinema between the 1970s and late 1980s.

A Colossus of Indian Playback Singing

Born on April 23, 1938, in Andhra Pradesh, S. Janaki built one of the most prolific careers in world music.

Over nearly seven decades, she is estimated to have recorded more than 48,000 songs across over 20 Indian languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Odia, Bengali, Tulu, Sanskrit and several others.

Her extraordinary versatility earned her four National Film Awards, numerous State Film Awards across southern India, and countless lifetime achievement honours. Generations of composers admired her unmatched ability to adapt her voice to any actress, emotion or genre – from classical and folk to romantic melodies, lullabies and devotional hymns.

For millions of listeners, S. Janaki was not merely a playback singer; she was an emotion.

Heartfelt Tribute

With the passing away of S. Janaki, Indian music loses one of its most expressive and versatile voices, while Odisha bids farewell to a singer who, despite never being born into its language, became inseparable from its musical soul.

Every Rath Yatra season, as "Kalia Asila Bhai, Kalia Asila..." echoes through homes, temples and streets across the state, her voice will continue to announce the Lord's arrival on the Bada Danda. Though the singer has fallen silent, the devotion, warmth and timeless humanity embedded in her songs ensure that she will remain immortal in the hearts of music lovers.

Like Lord Jagannath returning to bless His devotees every year, the voice of S. Janaki will forever return through her songs – reminding India that true music never dies.

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