Madras HC clears path: Music Academy can confer MS Subbulakshmi award on TM Krishna
A division bench of Justice SS Sundar and Justice P Dhanabal heard an appeal moved by the Music Academy challenging the single judge order.
Madras High Court
CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday set aside an order restraining the Music Academy from conferring the Sangita Kalanidhi Award, in remembrance of Carnatic music legend late MS Subbulakshmi, to Carnatic vocalist TM Krishna.
A division bench comprising Justices SS Sundar and P Dhanabal passed the order while allowing an appeal filed by the Music Academy, challenging the single judge's order last month.
The appellant contended that the Sangita Kalanidhi award in remembrance of Subbulakshmi has been conferred to many musicians past several years, and at this stage can't be stalled by claiming that she had executed a will not to give any awards in her name.
After the submission, the bench set aside the order restraining the conferring of the Sangita Kalanidhi award on TM Krishna.
The single judge order was passed on November 19 while hearing an application moved by the Music Academy to vacate the plaint filed by V Shrinivasan, 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.
The single judge held that since the plaintiff had locus standi in favour of him, he passed an order restraining the Music Academy from conferring the award.
Supreme Court refuses urgent hearing against honour
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to grant an urgent hearing on a plea challenging a Madras High Court order allowing the conferment of MS Subbulakshmi award on TM Krishna. Additional solicitor general N Venkataraman mentioned the matter before a bench of Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar and sought an urgent hearing as the award is scheduled to be conferred on December 15. Venkataraman informed the bench it was an extraordinary matter as Krishna wrote articles maligning Subbulakshmi. The top court said the appeal would be heard on December 16. After ASG said the case would become infructuous by then, the CJI said, "They can always take back the award."
