Unlike acting maestros who were also comic geniuses, such as Kalpana, Innocent, Sukumari, Mamukkoya, Kuthiravattam Pappu, KPAC Lalitha, and Jagathy Sreekumar, Salim Kumar did not essentially introduce a new style of acting to Malayalam cinema. While the comedic wizards who came before him ensured that no two performances of one resembled each other — even while employing their signature styles often — this was not the case for Salim. A close look at Meesa Madhavan’s Advocate Mukundanunni, Kunjikoonan’s Chandran, Kalyanaraman’s Pyarilal, and Pulival Kalyanam’s Manavalan — some among the many characters that the actor immortalised — might lead one to wonder if they are all long-lost cousins. There indeed are similarities among them. Yet, Salim’s absolute brilliance lay in his ability not to make the audience feel that. Or, even if they did, the hilarity he delivered was so impactful that the masses simply did not care. Also Read | Salim Kumar death: Mohanlal, Mammootty and VD Satheesan pay last respects to actor The secret behind Salim Kumar’s comedic genius And that, in my opinion, …