After immortalising the story of the father of Malayalam cinema, J C Daniel, in `Celluloid', director Kamal is now gearing up to showcase the history and relevance of theatre in Kerala in his next film. Titled `Nadan', the film will have Jayaram in the lead role.

The film narrates the story of a theatre actor and troupe owner played by Jayaram and traces the history of Kerala's theatre that grew with contributions beginning from Ochira Velukkutty in the 30s to KPAC and other popular drama groups in the 60s, says the film's scriptwriter Suresh Babu of Shikkar fame. While Kamal remarks it was a coincidence that he is doing this project after Celluloid, he points out that it is a fictional story that would address the influence that plays had on spreading awareness in the post-independance era.

"Professional theatre groups across the state like KPAC and their plays have contributed significantly to the socio-revolution of Kerala during the 50s and 60s. Drama is one of the oldest and greater performance art forms that directly communicate to people. However, now this field is in a precarious state and it has little or no influence on contemporary society," says Kamal, adding people are now more inclined to television and films for their dose of entertainment.