“He was a father figure for me,” says Balasai, still in shock. “Working with him was so inspiring,” adds the flautist, who accompanied the maestro continuously, 1988-93. Rather surprising because flute is not mandatory in a vocal concert. “My guru, Prapancham Sitaram, accompanied him in the 1970s for the rendition of Bhadrachalam Ramadas’s utsava sampradaya kritis. I was fortunate to get the opportunity,” he says. “And it was a huge learning curve. Never imagined a scene without him and the void can never be filled, not in a hundred years.”