On November 19, 2024, the Madras High Court issued an order allowing the Madras Music Academy's Sangita Kalanidhi Award as well as a parallel prize instituted by The Hindu newspaper to be presented to musician T.M. Krishna. While the court allowed the cash prize to be conferred on T.M. Krishna, it ruled that the award cannot be associated with M.S. Subbulakshmi's name. Justice G. Jayachandran passed the order in response to a suit filed by M.S. Subbulakshmi's grandson, who argued that awarding it in her name violated her wishes and mandate. The court also dismissed an application by the Music Academy challenging the suit, affirming that the grandson, Shrinivasan, had the legal standing to file the case as a beneficiary of Subbulakshmi's will.
V Shrinivasan, the grandson of Dr M S Subhulakshmi in his plaint fiercely opposed the conferment of the award to T M Krishna on the grounds that ‘ Krishna had repeatedly made malicious, defamatory, and scandalous remarks about Subbulakshmi on social media, tarnishing her reputation. Shrinivasan claimed that Krishna had consistently undermined the late singer's accomplishments, portraying them as mere recognition for her acceptance of her ‘perceived Brahmin identity’. While considering the plaint filed by V Shrinivasan, the court did not go into the merit of T M Krishna being selected for the award. The only question addressed by Justice G Jayachandran was whether giving an award in her name would go against the mandate expressed in her will.
According to Srinivasan, M.S. Subbulakshmi, in her final will dated October 30, 1997, explicitly stated that no trust, foundation, memorial, or any similar entity should be created in her name or memory, nor should funds or donations be collected for such purposes. Therefore, he argued that the award, presented annually in her honour, violated her expressed wishes.
In the plaint, Shrinivasan cites Krishna’s article published in ‘The Caravan’ in October 2015, where he critically reflects on Subbulakshmi's profile as a musician. Shrinivasan describes the article as "an outlandish attempt at ventriloquism aimed at posthumously maligning a musician of eminence through a series of left-handed compliments." He further alleges that "over the last decade or so, T.M. Krishna has unjustifiably resorted to vile, vituperative, and scandalous attacks on the late M.S. Subbulakshmi in the press and on social media." Additionally, he references another article by Krishna, published in ‘The Wire’ on September 16, 2016, which criticised the lack of serious investigation into her music.
M.S. Subbulakshmi's will
One of the key questions raised in the on-going dispute is why M.S. Subbulakshmi's will had not been taken into consideration in the past. According to Shrinivasan, Subbulakshmi’s grandson, she executed her last will and testament on October 3, 1997, which was held by the executor, S. Nagarajan, a Chartered Accountant. Shrinivasan learned about the existence of the will from his mother but only recently became aware of its contents. The plaint submitted to the High Court cites the following exact wording from the will:
“It is my earnest desire and mandate that after my demise no Trust, Foundation, or Memorial of any kind including erecting of any statue or bust shall be formed or created or made in my name and memory or any fund or donations or contributions collected for any of the aforementioned purposes using my name, except to the extent of what I have stated above regarding the mementoes, souvenirs, etc. awarded to me since I consider these as not conducive to our culture.”
This is not the first award presented in the name of M.S. Subbulakshmi. According to information provided by the Music Academy of Tamil Nadu, the Sangeetha Kalanidhi Award, which includes a gold medal and a citation, was instituted in 1942. Since 2005, ‘The Hindu’ newspaper has also instituted the M.S. Subbulakshmi Award, which is presented to the same person honoured as Sangeetha Kalanidhi by the Academy.
In its counter-affidavit, ‘The Hindu’ argued that it has no role in selecting the awardee, as this responsibility lies solely with the Academy. The newspaper also stated that the award was instituted in honour of M.S. Subbulakshmi ‘to inspire, cherish, and continue the legacy of the legendary singer’.
Krishna only honoured M S Subhulakshmi: Perumal Murugan
Tamil writer and activist Perumal Murugan argues that T.M. Krishna’s article on M.S. Subbulakshmi serves to highlight her talent as a musician. “He has not maligned her, as alleged by the family. That article provides a deeper insight into her world of music,” he said. Perumal Murugan also defended Krishna’s use of the word ‘sexy’ in the article published in ‘The Wire’, stating, “The word ‘sexy’ does not have any negative connotation; it simply means beautiful.” Srinivasan in his submission to the High Court has quoted these references in the article published in The Wire. In the article T M Krishna argues that no honest man can deny that his fascination for her had as much to do with her looks as with her music. Perumal Murugan further said “The will, written 25 years ago, was not known to the public. If Krishna’s actions lead to it being unearthed, he is only honouring her wish.”
Awards, fellowships and institutions named after M S Subhulakshmi come under question
The Music Academy has moved the Supreme Court challenging the verdict pronounced by the Madras High Court. The legal question will be conclusively resolved only after the Supreme Court delivers its final judgment. However, this legal battle raises new questions about various awards and fellowships conferred by different organisations in memory and honour of M.S. Subbulakshmi. ‘The Hindu’ in its counter affidavit, listed 12 such awards and fellowships, including one instituted by the Government of Tamil Nadu.
In the affidavit, ‘The Hindu’ also pointed out that auditoriums named after M.S. Subbulakshmi have been established at several locations, such as at the Asian College of Journalism in Chennai, Shanmukhananda Sabha in Mumbai, and The Velammal International School in Ponneri (Chennai). Additionally, endowment concerts are organised in her memory by the Visakha Music Academy in Visakhapatnam and Powai Fine Arts in Mumbai. Statues of M.S. Subbulakshmi have been installed by institutions such as Tumkur University in Tumkur, Shanmukhananda Sabha in Mumbai, Tirumala Urban Development Authority in Tirupati, Sri Rama Lalitha Kala Mandira in Bengaluru, and Sri Kanchi Mahaswami Vidya Mandir in Tambaram, Chennai.
‘The Hindu’ further argued that Shrinivasan himself participated in a function marking the inauguration of an auditorium named after M.S. Subbulakshmi at Cambridge School in Greater Noida.
When the case proceeds to the Supreme Court, the existence of all these awards, fellowships, concerts, and buildings could come under scrutiny. Strict adherence to the wishes expressed by M.S. Subbulakshmi in her will would mean that none of these memorials could continue. If the apex court upholds the High Court's judgment, the legendary singer’s name might be removed from all such honours, erasing the association of a legendary singer with the institutions of music.
