Their attempt to celebrate National Day in 1937 was a declaration of solidarity with the Youth Leadership of Congress.
The students have earlier also had training under veteran gurus like the late Thekkinkattil Ramunni Nair, Padma Bhushan Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair, the late Kalamandalam Padmanabhan Nair and Kottakkal Krishnankutty Nair, besides late masters like Kadathanattu Govindan Nambisan, Kalamandalam Neelakantan Nambisan, Kalamandalam Unnikrishna Kurup, Kalamandalam Krishnankutty Poduval, Kalamandalam Chandra Mannadiyar, Tirur Nambissan and Kalamandalam Appukutty Poduval.
He later worked with several Kathakali schools like PSV Natyasangham, Kottakkal; Kalasadanam, Chunangad and Varanakkottu Kaliyogam, Payyannur; but his longest stints were in Gandhi Seva Sadan (Sadanam Kathakali and Classical Arts Academy) at Peroor in Palakkad district and the International Centre for Kathakali in New Delhi.
A native of Cheranalloor in Ernakulam district, Nelliyode joined the PSV Natyasangham in Kottakkal in 1957 and received training in Kathakali largely under Kunchu Nair.
Kunchu Nair, who also taught at the PSV Natyasangham in Kottakkal, has eminent disciples like Kalamandalam Vasu Pisharody, Kottakkal Sivaraman, Nelliyode Vasudevan Namboodiri and Kottakkal Chandrasekharan.