The first concert by Carnatic musician TM Krishna following the controversy over the Sangita Kalanidhi MS Subbulakshmi Award drew a packed audience on Wednesday, December 25, at the Music Academy in Chennai.
The hall echoed with applause as Krishna brought writer Perumal Murugan’s timeless words to life: “Sundhadhiram vendum, ethaiyum pesa, ethaiyum ezhutha, ethaiyum paada, ethaiyum padika, ethaiyum ketka” (We need freedom: to speak anything, to write anything, to sing anything, to read anything, and to hear anything).
The controversy had erupted after MS Subbulakshmi’s grandson V Shrinivasan moved the Madras HC stating that the award cannot be given to someone who has constantly criticised the late singer. He also argued that no award can be ever given to anyone under Subbulakshmi’s name, stating that she had expressly said so in her last will and testament.
The concert drew an unexpectedly large crowd, prompting organizers to take extra measures to accommodate attendees. Additional plastic chairs were set up outside the main auditorium, and LED screens were arranged to broadcast the performance. Music Academy President N Murali told The Hindu that he had never witnessed such a turnout at the Academy.
“People came out of the concert in high spirits and with a feeling of absolute joy and satisfaction. This is undoubtedly a resounding vindication of Krishna, who has gone through so much over the last several months...,” he said.
The Sangita Kalanidhi MS Subbulakshmi Award was instituted in 2005 by The Hindu group. The award, accompanied by a cash prize, is given to recipients of the Sangita Kalanidhi title, which is conferred by The Music Academy and is considered the highest honor in Carnatic music.
In response to Shrinivasan’s petition, the Madras High Court initially ruled that The Hindu could grant the award to Krishna but should refrain from using Subbulakshmi’s name. However, a Division Bench of Justices SS Sundar and P Dhanabal later overturned this decision. The court ruled that the term “memorial” in Subbulakshmi’s will could not be extended to include awards and noted that other beneficiaries might interpret the will differently.
The Supreme Court declined to entertain an appeal of this decision, stating that “this is not like any building is coming down.” It added that if merit was found in the plea later, the award could always be recalled. The award presentation ceremony was scheduled to be held on December 15.