Who Was Jani Chacko? Learn More About Usha Uthup’s Late Husband and Tea Connoisseur

Usha Uthup's second husband, Jani Chacko, passed away at 78 due to cardiac arrest in Kolkata on Monday. The couple led a private life in their city home. Jani was not only Usha's partner but also a tea connoisseur. Here are some more details about him.

Who Was Jani Chacko?

Born in 1946, Jani Chacko Uthup was the son of Brigadier C.C. Uthup. He belonged to a Syrian Christian family in Kottayam. Jani completed his schooling in Chennai (then Madras) before moving to Kolkata (then Calcutta) in search of work. It was there, at the nightclub Trincas in 1969, that he met the legendary singer and his future wife, Usha Uthup, during one of her performances.

What Did He Do?

Jani Chacko Uthup, Usha Uthup’s second husband, was an active member of India’s tea fraternity, working with J. Thomas & Co. He played a significant role in India’s tea plantation industry, with his career dating back to 1967. According to the Bygone Plantation Days group, Jani began his career as a tea taster and trainee with Thomas, Cumberlege, and Inskipp in London before becoming an active member of J. Thomas & Co.

Usha and Jani’s Love Story

According to Vikas Kumar Jha’s book The Queen of Indian Pop: The Authorised Biography of Usha Uthup, Usha was still married to her first husband, Ramu, when she met Jani for the first time. During interactions between her gigs, Jani and Usha fell in love and decided to marry after Usha and Ramu's split. Jha’s writings in Usha’s biography describe their story as a notable tale of romance, with Usha ending her five-year-long marriage to be with Jani.

Jani is survived by Usha and their two children – daughter Anjali Uthup and son Sunny Uthup.

Meanwhile, Usha Uthup was conferred the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India this year. She has been singing in Bollywood since the early 1970s and has also performed in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu movies. Additionally, Usha has acted in a few films, such as 7 Khoon Maaf.