MS Subbulakshmi's grandson had approached Madras High Court over TM Krishna's alleged derogatory and offensive remarks against the singer.
Published Nov 19, 2024 | 2:26 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 19, 2024 | 2:26 PM
MS Subbulakshmi and TM Krishna
The Madras High Court on Tuesday, 18 November, issued an interim order preventing the 2024 Sangeetha Kalanidhi Award named after MS Subbulakshmi from being presented to musician TM Krishna.
The interim order was issued in response to a civil suit filed by Carnatic music icon MS Subbulakshmi’s grandson, Srinivasan.
The Music Academy has been presenting the Sangeetha Kalanidhi Award in collaboration with The Hindu since 2005. It is awarded annually to a musician, in an attempt to honour MS Subbulakshmi’s memory and comes with a cash prize of ₹1 lakh.
The court ruled that the award and cash prize could be given to TM Krishna, as long as MS Subbulakshmi’s name wasn’t used.
The Music Academy named TM Krishna for the award on 17 March this year and lauded him for using music as a tool for social reform.
In his plea, Srinivasan had mentioned that the Music Academy’s award, usually given as part of its December music season, had been announced for TM Krishna. He was to receive it this December during the 98th Annual Festival.
Alleging that TM Krishna has repeatedly made derogatory, offensive, and defamatory remarks against MS Subbulakshmi for ‘cheap publicity,’ her grandson had alleged that the announcement was distressing to the family.
How can an award given on behalf of MS Subbulakshmi be given to honour someone who constantly tries to tarnish her reputation, asked Srinivasan.
As per the deceased singer’s will, no awards can be given in her name, he said.
Requesting the court to prohibit Krishna from receiving the award, he argued that an atheist like TM Krishna should not given an award named after a deeply religious figure like MS Subbulakshmi.
In its response, the Music Academy clarified that it had no role in selecting the recipient of the award and that no objections were raised by MS Subbulakshmi’s family during since the English daily started giving the award in 2005.
After hearing the petition, Justice G. Jayachandran ordered that the Sangeetha Kalanidhi Award for 2024 should not be given to TM Krishna in MS Subbulakshmi’s name.
A group of prominent Carnatic musicians had earlier protested awarding it to vocalist TM Krishna over ideological differences. Musicians Ranjani and Gayatri, as well as the Trichuru brothers Srikrishna Mohan and Ramkumar Mohan, had announced their decision to boycott this year’s Music Academy conference and festival.
Another musician, Chitravina Ravi Kiran, had said that he would return the Sangita Kalanidhi Award he won in 2017.
The protesting musicians had alleged that TM Krishna’s actions “tried to spread a sense of shame in being a Carnatic musician and has been exhibited through his consistent denigration of spirituality in music”.
(Edited by Neena with inputs from Nitika K Shivani)
