The Madras High Court, in an interim order on Tuesday, restrained the Madras Music Academy in Chennai from presenting the Sangita Kalanidhi MS Subbulakshmi Award to Carnatic vocalist and activist TM Krishna. The court stated that the award could not bear the name of the iconic singer, MS Subbulakshmi, as it would violate her wishes, according to a report by LiveLaw.

Justice G Jayachandran clarified that while the Music Academy could confer the award and cash prize on TM Krishna, using Subbulakshmi’s name would contravene the terms of her 1997 will. In her will, Subbulakshmi explicitly stated that no trust, memorial, or foundation should be established in her name and that no funds should be raised for such purposes.

The case was filed by V Shrinivasan, Subbulakshmi’s grandson, who argued that the best way to honour her legacy was to respect her wishes. “The best way to honour a departed soul is to respect her wishes and not act against them,” the judge remarked in favour of Shrinivasan.

Shrinivasan also alleged that TM Krishna’s past remarks about Subbulakshmi disqualified him from receiving an award associated with her name. According to the petition, Krishna had described Subbulakshmi as “the greatest hoax of the twentieth century” through an anonymous quote and referred to her as a “saintly Barbie doll” in his commentary. Shrinivasan claimed these comments were attempts to malign her legacy and undermine her contributions to Carnatic music.

The Music Academy had sought to dismiss the case, arguing that Shrinivasan did not have the legal standing to file the suit. However, the court rejected this argument, upholding Shrinivasan’s right to contest the use of Subbulakshmi’s name for the award.

Despite these objections, Justice Jayachandran noted that Krishna’s critical comments about Subbulakshmi would not disqualify him from being honoured with the Sangita Kalanidhi title.

The Sangita Kalanidhi MS Subbulakshmi Award was instituted in 2005 by The Hindu group and is awarded annually to the Sangita Kalanidhi-designate along with a cash prize of ₹1 lakh.

TM Krishna, a Ramon Magsaysay Award-winning Carnatic vocalist, is known for his efforts to challenge traditional norms and address caste-related issues in the art form. His selection as the Sangita Kalanidhi designate this year has sparked controversy within the Carnatic music community. While some have lauded his contributions, others have criticised his outspoken views on caste and social reforms, with a few musicians even boycotting events honouring him.

Following the court’s ruling, Krishna is still eligible to receive the Sangita Kalanidhi title without any association with MS Subbulakshmi’s name. The Madras Music Academy has not yet announced its course of action in response to the court’s decision.