It is a case of art imitating life and the result has been the revival of an ancient form of Indian folk theatre threatened by the cable television and Bollywood films.

The Digbijoy Opera, a jatra troupe based in Calcutta, played host to up to 15,000 people who turned out over the weekend to watch a colourful interpretation of the trial of Saddam Hussein.

Saddam at the Gallows opened on Saturday to a packed house and is, according to the organisers, a sell-out for the next 49 shows. As well as West Bengal, the high-decibel, three-hour play will tour villages around the more remote northeastern states of Assam and Tripura. The play, set in a high-security prison, sees a debate raging about whether hanging Saddam, played by Debgopal Bandopadhyaya, the Bengali actor, is the right course of action.

The curtain falls with him going to the gallows. More than 200 technicians and artists were involved in the vibrant melodrama, contained on a giant rectangular outdoor stage, which is trying to depict the deposed Iraqi president as something of a folk hero.

“The storyline showcases how America is acting in an arbitrary manner and how the allegations and investigations levelled are questionable and doctored,” Haradhan Roy, the director, said. “We are against this conviction and death sentence. We want to portray that Saddam Hussein has been a crusader in the fight for freedom for his country and these Western powers are wrong in convicting him. I am sure people will find this play better than watching cinema.”

Saddam at the Gallows is the sequel to Saddam the Prisoner, which also played to sell-out crowds in Calcutta, a cultural centre for jatra, which means journey.

Digbijoy Opera, one of the city’s 55 jatra troupes, believes that the art form is enjoying a resurgence of popularity because of its decision to script the plays on current affairs. Previous subjects tackled include the 2004 tsunami, the September 11 attacks and the London bombings of last July. “The tickets have been priced very marginally at 20 to 30 rupees (22p-33p) so that the villagers not only can have fun but also understand the dynamics of international politics,” Uttam Maeitei, the producer, said.

The local reaction to the use of contemporary rather than increasingly irrelevant mythological themes has been enthusiastic. Saugar Sengupta, Calcutta correspondent for The Pioneer newspaper, says the people of west Bengal — once the seat of British imperialism — are particularly susceptible to external influences. “Whenever the world catches a cold, Calcutta sneezes. It is not surprising, therefore, that these kinds of shows have got audiences.”

The Digbijoy Opera has attracted controversy. Its previous play, about the hanging of Dhananjay Chatterjee, a Calcutta security guard found guilty of raping a schoolgirl, was banned by the state. Bangladesh banned jatra after performances were bombed by fundamentalists opposed to public entertainment.

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