Atul Kumar brings ‘Taking Sides’ to Chennai, a courtroom drama about Hitler’s favourite conductor, Wilhelm Furtwängler

This is no ordinary tale. This is the story of Hitler’s favourite conductor, Wilhelm Furtwangler. Following Hitler’s defeat, the Allied forces began a ‘de-Nazification’ process and established tribunals to investigate those who may have collaborated with the Nazis. Wilhelm Furtwängler, conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic, was among those scrutinised. During Hitler’s rise, many German artists, both Jewish and non-Jewish, fled the country. However, Fuwrtwängler decided to stay, stating to Steve Arnold, a US Army major, that his commitment was to his music, his orchestra, and his nation. He felt that art should be above political affiliations.

Directed by Atul Kumar, Taking Sides, a courtroom drama, is about Furtwangler’s postwar interrogation. Atul plays Wilhelm Furtwängler, and he tells us that his love for this story written by Ronald Harwood began long back when he watched the film Taking Sides by István Szabó. “I was deeply influenced by performances and the story that it narrates; above all, the issue that it picks up. This is an argument between art and politics. It’s about morality, and about which side of history do you finally stand when it comes to taking a difficult decision of your life,” Atul explains, adding, “It’s something that I thought I must address at some point in my life. And sadly, I’m saying sadly, because I wish it was not important, but it is still important in our lives, because it does talk of fascism, oppression and forces which impinge on our freedom — of speech, expression, art, everything. That’s why I felt the need to pick it up now, because I think probably we as a nation are going through the worst times in the history of our independent India.”

Since the script is very long, the biggest challenge that the Mumbai-based The Company Theatre faced was that there were far too many specific references to European history, which the audiences in India might not associate with. “We edited it and kept the essential parts. And within what we had chosen, we had to really make a sound ground for an argument, both vis-a-vis music, classical music, which this wonderful conductor represents. We had a lot to argue about our own morality — that if we were in such a situation in history or now, what would we do? The answers were not very easy to come by, because we can look at history and be judgmental about it, but sadly, we stand in that position every day today, as artists in this country,” the director says.

Atul also tells us that though he plays the character of the artiste, internally, he is completely convinced with the other character’s (the Major’s) political argument “and that is a wonderful dichotomy to play with because I’m playing the role of an actor who is actually supporting the fact that art can be made for art’s sake, that it serves a higher purpose, more spiritual purpose, when it is able to touch thousands of lives, and that it is beyond a number of politics. But having said that, presently, where I stand in my own politics, I’m very sure that it would not be easy for me to take that stance today. I can’t possibly say that I make art to serve a higher purpose; I find it very important, very urgent for myself, to be making art that questions the political, socio economic situations around me. And it’s very difficult for me to sleep in the night if I was not to voice my opinion against any sort of oppressive rule.”

On a concluding note, we ask Atul when the curtain draws, does the play allow audiences to take sides? He replies, “I hope people never find answers so that the struggle constantly stays inside us. It's dynamic. It keeps us on the edge. It keeps us aware, a vigil to our own consciousness. And I think that is more important than anything.”

Tickets at INR 499.

Available online.

October 19, 7.30 pm.

At Medai – The Stage, Alwarpet.

Email: rupam@newindianexpress.com

X: @rupsjain