The manner of playing built for accompaniment: theka as the center of gravity, dynamics calibrated under the soloist, responses sized to the gaps offered. Its virtues are steadiness, tact, and readiness — the mukhda placed perfectly, the tihai matched instantly when the soloist launches one.
Each genre reshapes it: khayal sangat is austere, thumri sangat playful with laggi, instrumental sangat conversational, Kathak sangat a discipline of its own with recitation and cueing. Great accompanists are honored precisely because the role hides its difficulty.