Tune-wise, Panickar experimented a lot by introducing ragas less familiar to Kathakali, thanks also to a solid base he had from Carnatic music lessons in childhood. “Further, a five-year Shastri course I did in Sanskrit ensured proper pronunciation and breaking of words in the lyrics,” says the master, whose music was documented in the mid-1980s by (late) classical vocalist-scholar Dr S Ramanathan.

There, as Damayanti, abandoned by her husband Nala in the woods, was seen straining to walk with a python by her foot, she began screaming aloud: “A snake has bitten my father!”

Today, seven years after his death in an accident he met on the road while driving his car to his alma mater, it is clear that Hyderali has no successors. There are one or two singers who sought to follow his style, but seem to have given up now.

The consistent recurrence of the tragedy has tormented the Brahmin beyond consolation. Every time his wife delivered, the child would be stillborn. This was the ninth time he was appearing with the dead infant at Krishna’s durbar for relief.

Hailing from Vellinezhi which happens to be the ‘birth-home’ of several stalwarts, aassan did not have the recognition that was due for his human nature, mastery over technical skills and aesthetic sensitivity and sensibility.

As he put it to me: "I have 6 1/4 hours of general subjects, 31 1/4 hours of plays filmed as they were being performed and 13 1/2 hours of cholliyattam, so if I want I can watch Kathakali for 51 hours."