Veteran German filmmaker Wim Wenders on Monday asked Tollywood actress Debleena Dutt to share her audition tape with his team following an audition request made by the latter at Wenders’ masterclass in Kolkata.
“The whole thing seems unreal. I need time to process my feelings. Only then can I think about what audition tape I should send. I am really grateful to the universe,” Debleena told The Telegraph Online after the interactive session held at GD Birla Sabhaghar.
Wim Wenders is in Kolkata as part of his India tour titled ‘King of the Road’. The five-city retrospective that began on February 5 in Mumbai will continue till February 23. The Kolkata leg began on February 16 with a screening of Paris, Texas and will end on February 19.
Following Debleena’s request at the Monday session, Wenders asked her to share her audition tapes with his secretary, Claire Brunel, co-director of the Wim Wenders Foundation.
Monday’s masterclass was conducted by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, director, Film Heritage Foundation, the organisers of Wenders’ India tour.
During the interactive masterclass session, Debleena was among the few audience members who got a chance to ask a question to the German filmmaker. Her first question was about the final single-shot scene from Wenders’ latest film Perfect Days (2023).
“This is a question that has been haunting me since I watched the film. I kept wondering if there was any conspiracy between the actor and the director to come up with such a scene, that too in a single shot,” Debleena said.
She followed up the query with a supplementary question. “I have been an actress for 27 years. And my industry colleagues present in the audience can vouch that I am good at my job. So, how can I audition for your film?” she asked Wenders.
The filmmaker, initially taken aback, had a witty comeback. “Had this been your first question, I would not have asked for your audition tapes. But since I liked your first question, you can get in touch with Claire, and send her the tapes,” he said.
“She shared her business card with me. This is the best gift I could have asked for this Valentine’s Week,” an ecstatic Debleena said after the session.
“Being part of the masterclass conducted by Wim Wenders was like going through one of his movies. It was so lyrical, so magical. It was also detoxifying and life changing. This session was like a new birth for me,” the actress added.
Debleena began her acting career with a minor role in the Bengali television series Seemarekha (1996). She gained recognition for her portrayal of Deepaboli in Saat Kahon and reached the peak of her stardom as Nandini in Ravi Ojha's Ek Akasher Niche. Her most recent appearance was in Krishnendu Chatterjee's film Jomaloye Jibonto Bhanu (2024).
A key figure in New German Cinema, Wim Wenders’ works often explore themes of memory, identity, and human connection. His notable works include Paris, Texas (1984), Wings of Desire (1987), and Buena Vista Social Club (1999). His cinematic style blends realism with dreamlike imagery, making him one of the most influential auteurs in contemporary cinema.
Wenders has received numerous accolades in his career, including the Palme D’or at Cannes Film festival, Cesar Awards, Honorary Golden Bear at Berlin Film Festival. He has also been nominated for the Academy Awards.