After her fans celebrated the Padma Bhushan award given to her by the President, noted singer Vani Jayaram passed away in Chennai at the age of 78. Tamil Nadu Police have opened a case for a suspicious death.
Vani had been living alone in her Chennai home since the passing of her husband in 2018. A maidservant who did her daily chores found her dead in her bedroom with a bruise on her forehead. The body was taken to Kilpauk Hospital for a post-mortem and a police forensic team is investigating the scene. Further details will be made known after the post-mortem report is released.
Vani was a renowned singer in the South Indian film industry, having sung over 10,000 songs in 19 different languages and winning three National Awards. She had received state awards from various states and was regarded as one of the few South Indian singers who had an in-depth knowledge of Hindustani classical music. She was trained by Ustad Abdul Rahman Khan of the Patiala Gharana and was beloved by both old and new music directors, including Ilaiyaraaja and A.R. Rahman.
