In the heartland of rural West Bengal, the carnage of the July 7 London bombings is getting readied to be enacted - complete with scenes of explosions and characters playing Al Qaeda terrorists and also Tony Blair and George Bush - in a popular open-air opera.
The folk drama, known locally as jatra, will have special effects to recreate the serial blasts on London's underground trains and a double-decker bus that had left over 50 people dead and 700 injured exactly a month ago.
The Digbijoee Opera jatra company of Kolkata is scripting its new play titled "Bisphorone Jolche London" (Explosion Scalds London), which would begin its tour of the rural areas of eastern India in October.
"Blair, Bush and Al Qaeda terrorists are naturally the characters of this play, rehearsal for which would begin Aug 15. The first show will be held in Gangajalghati in Bankura district on Oct 3," Digbijoee Opera playwright Haradhan Roy told IANS.
"We have conceptualised the play on the London incident because current affairs are a big draw in rural belts despite penetration of television," Roy said.
The high-decibel jatras, performed in open grounds for centuries, are immensely popular in rural areas despite the growing reach of satellite television and cinema.
{{/usCountry}}The high-decibel jatras, performed in open grounds for centuries, are immensely popular in rural areas despite the growing reach of satellite television and cinema.
{{/usCountry}}"The play would be exciting for its special effects by men from Chennai and Orissa. Audiences would be treated to sights of trains and double-decker buses blowing up before their eyes," he said.
"If there are new developments in the investigation, we will introduce new characters in the play."
Digbijoee Opera, which is also coming up with a play on the tsunami disaster, had earlier produced plays on the World Trade Centre bombings and the hanging of rape and murder convict Dhanonjoy Chatterjee.