Madras HC restrains Music Academy from conferring award to TM Krishna in memory of MS Subbulakshmi

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday restrained the Music Academy from conferring Sangita Kalanidhi award, in remembrance of Carnatic music legend late MS Subbulakshmi, to Carnatic vocalist TM Krishna.

While Justice G Jayachandran allowed the Music Academy to confer any prestigious award to honour the works of Krishna, he restrained it from presenting any award or cash prize in the name of late MS Subbulakshmi.

The order was passed while hearing an application moved by the Music Academy to vacate the plaint filed by V Shrinivasan claiming himself as the grandson of Subbulakshmi.

The plaintiff submitted that in her will, executed in 1997, Subbulakshmi expressed that no trust, statute or foundation should be instituted in her memory. Against her will, the Music Academy and another English news daily announced the 2025 Sangita Kalanidhi MS Subbulakshmi award to TM Krishna, he said.

Shrinivasan also contended that Krishna has made critical remarks against Subbulakshmi, hence the award should not be conferred on him.

After all the submission, the judge observed that since the plaintiff has locus standi in favour of him, he issued an order restraining the Music Academy from presenting the award to Krishna until the disposal of his civil suit.

SPARK OF CONTENTION

*At a 2017 book launch in Hyderabad, Krishna had stated that Subbulakshmi, in her later years, distanced herself from her Devadasi roots and adopted a Brahmin identity

*He noted Subbulakshmi's singing was captivating but her life story was tragic; he asked whether Subbulakshmi's music would have been as revered had she been a dark-skinned Dalit