Veteran playback singer S. Janaki has thousands of admirers, but unique among them is H.S. Ravi, a resident of Hassan who runs a small hotel in the town and has penned a book about the legendary singer.

Also read: S. Janaki’s last rites in Mysuru

Mr. Ravi was drawn to films and music from his childhood and won several prizes for singing at school — many of them for rendering Janaki’s songs. His passion for music and his deep appreciation for her voice later prompted him to start collecting information about her life and career. He travelled to different places, reached out to numerous people in the music industry, and gathered material over the years. The information he collected grew so voluminous that he eventually decided to compile it into a book.

Through contacts in the music field, Mr. Ravi managed to secure a meeting with Janaki in Bengaluru before he began writing. He sought her permission and blessings for the project. “She accepted my idea and gave me one condition: that I should not misrepresent the name of any music director or singer in the book. She was particular that I should not disrespect any of them,” he recalled.

Samvahana, a publishing house in Mysuru, published the book titled Kannada Kampinali Gaana Kogile Dr. S. Janaki in 2013.

The book was well received by Janaki’s fans. “Janaki sang the highest number of film songs in Kannada among all languages. She first lent her voice for a song in the Kannada movie Sri Krishna Garudi and later rendered a full song for Rayara Sose From then on, she went on to sing hundreds of Kannada songs and won the hearts of Kannada audiences,” Mr. Ravi said.

After the book was published, Mr. Ravi had the opportunity to meet Janaki again and personally handed her a copy. “That was a moment of great satisfaction for me,” he said. He also runs a YouTube channel that features Kannada songs, many of which are renditions by Janaki herself.

On Sunday (July 12, 2026), after learning of the singer’s death, Mr. Ravi travelled to Mysuru to pay his last respects. Ravi, 54, lives in Hassan with his wife Vanajakshi and two children.