Why T M Krishna’s ‘criticism’ of M S Subbulakshmi is in fact a commentary on society at large

The HC bid came connected a civilian suit filed by V Shrinivasan, Subbulakshmi’s step-grandson (her stepdaughter Radha Vishwanathan’s son), who had sought to barroom The Music Academy from giving the grant to Krishna arsenic helium felt that writings and talks by the instrumentalist had been “vile, vituperative and disparaging” to Subbulakshmi.

Krishna denied this successful a counter-affidavit, saying his writings and talks were taken retired of discourse and selectively interpreted by Shrinivasan.

In his verdict, Justice G Jayachandran said Krishna’s opinion, “whether good, atrocious oregon disfigured volition not disqualify him from getting the rubric Sangita Kalanidhi”. But citing Subbulakshmi’s will from 1997, helium said that utilizing her sanction successful the grant would beryllium a usurpation of its contents.

According to the will, nary trust, memorial, statue, oregon bust should beryllium instituted successful her sanction and memory, and nary donations should beryllium made for the purpose.

So are determination nary honours successful Subbulakshmi’s name?

The tribunal said that “a usurpation of a dormant person’s privation cannot beryllium entertained oregon allowed…under the guise of commemorating oregon honouring her”.

However, implicit the years, respective fellowships and awards person been instituted successful Subbulakshmi’s name, including a celebrated 1 by Shri Shanmukhananda Fine Arts and Sangeetha Sabha established to commemorate her centenary. The institute successful Mumbai besides has a statue of Subbulakshmi successful the beforehand foyer.

There is besides a immense bronze statue of Subbulakshmi holding a tanpura successful Tirupati, and her bust astatine the Sri Rama Lalitha Kala Mandira, the seven-decade-old Carnatic classical institute successful Bengaluru.

What did Krishna accidental astir Subbulakshmi?

Krishna’s veneration for Subbulakshmi’s euphony comes done intelligibly successful his writings, lectures, and interviews. What seems to person irked some, however, is his analyses and commentary connected the broader societal discourse of the improvement of her music.

Krishna has referred to Subbulakshmi’s Devadasi roots, and asked whether the Carnatic assemblage would person inactive built a halo astir her and treated her similar a deity if she had not “Brahminised” herself, oregon was dark-skinned.

He has besides examined the changes successful Subbulakshmi’s euphony that came with this translation — from her days successful Madurai to aboriginal marrying a Brahmin, distancing herself from her roots, and tailoring immoderate of her euphony owed to the restrictions that were placed connected her life.

Krishna has tried to find retired what Subbulakshmi mislaid connected the mode to attaining her God-like presumption — successful looking astatine her beingness and times, the conception of state of an artist, and the choices she has to make, helium has addressed questions relating to nine astatine large.

So what is the occupation with this analysis?

Krishna wrote successful The Caravan astir Subbulakshmi’s iconic ‘Suprabhatam’, which helium described arsenic a “popular coup” but “a philharmonic escaped autumn arsenic acold arsenic the superior listener was concerned”.

In response, Shrinivasan wrote successful The Deccan Herald, “It is inexplicable however the Suprabhatham, which volition beryllium remembered for centuries, tin beryllium dismissed arsenic a philharmonic escaped fall.”

The contented present is the sensitivity of immoderate to an intelligence commentary astir the beingness and euphony of a revered icon.

Krishna spoke of Subbulakshmi’s aesthetic translation aft her relation successful Meera, and of the mode her dependable was suppressed and structured adjacent erstwhile it was beautiful. In an effort titled ‘Let’s Not Succumb to Misremembering MS Subbulakshmi’ successful The Wire, Krishna wrote, “She was, what my daughter’s procreation would call, sexy”, and was criticised powerfully for utilizing the connection sexy successful the discourse of Subbulakshmi.

Of course, Krishna, an insider, was penning astir a revered fig successful the satellite of classical music, highlighting what helium thought and saw.

But those who respect Subbulakshmi were offended.

How did this statement play retired successful the Sangita Kalanidhi Award controversy?

This March, aft N Murali, president of The Music Academy, announced this year’s Sangita Kalanidhi Award for Krishna, respective personalities successful the Carnatic classical constitution protested. The victor of the Award presides implicit the prestigious December Music Season, Chennai’s expansive solemnisation successful the Marghazi month.

Three days later, sister duo Ranjani-Gayathri withdrew from the play citing “glorification of a fig similar EVR (Periyar)… and insults of icons similar Thyagaraja and MS (Subbulakshmi)”. Thereafter, different artists including Trichur Brothers and Chitraveen Ravikiran, besides withdrew from the festival.

Murali had responded to the missive written by Ranjani-Gayathri, saying it was “replete with unwarranted and slanderous insinuations verging connected defamation” and that the grant was chosen aft “careful deliberation”.

The contention besides took a governmental magnitude — Krishna has been a vocal professional of respective policies of the BJP government, and had spoken astir the “frenzy” astir Ram Temple successful Ayodhya, portion Ranjani-Gayathri had fixed a peculiar online performance connected the time of the temple’s Bhoomi Poojan.

What are Krishna’s disagreements with the Carnatic euphony ‘establishment’?

Krishna’s transportation for inclusiveness successful the arts and his position connected Indian authorities has attracted some bouquets and brickbats.

Krishna has been criticised for his Christian and Islamic Carnatic songs — which helium says is an effort astatine making the creation signifier accessible to non-Hindus arsenic well.

Krishna has besides been astatine the forefront of challenging caste rigidities and sex authorities successful Carnatic music, and has criticised the non-inclusivity of the December Music Season.

In 2015, helium pulled retired of singing astatine the Music Academy aft helium felt that the famed Season, which had stemmed from the Music Academy’s archetypal yearly league connected Carnatic euphony successful 1929, was progressively being driven by “commodification”, too being “socially stifling”. He spoke of non-Brahmin musicians and definite creation forms specified arsenic Pariyattam, Villupattu, Gaana-Pattu and Kuthu being near out.

He has besides rebelled against limiting classical forms to definite specified spaces, and has started a euphony festival successful a sportfishing colony to “push retired caste elitism from the existing Carnatic euphony system”.

All of this has made the Carnatic euphony constitution uncomfortable — helium has been advised to absorption connected singing alternatively than connected activism, and galore listeners and artists person decided to enactment distant from his music.

In an interrogation to The Indian Express earlier, Krishna had said: “When you situation definite ideologies, definite ways oregon content systems that are truthful almighty and telephone the full happening an oppressive structure, it volition beryllium uncomfortable. I’m saying I volition practise it, but I volition question it and effort to make a conversation.”