Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 10 Jul: Words. Rhythms. Images. (WRI), a Dehradun-based creative agency working across storytelling, film and participatory media, marked 18 years of its journey with “An Evening of Stories”, an interactive gathering held at the Doon Library & Research Centre, here.
The evening brought together conversations, literature and film to reflect honestly on the meanings of freedom, courage and difficult social realities.
The programme opened with a conversation between educator and social activist Ira Chauhan and author Manisha Sobhrajani on Sobhrajani’s latest book, ‘Shadows of Azaadi: Women’s Lives in the Crucible of Kashmir’. The anthology brought together essays by women from Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, exploring what freedom meant when even the most basic rights remained contested.
Speaking on the occasion, Manisha Sobhrajani said that being an author could often be on a lonely journey and that events such as these served as bridges through which writers could emerge from solitude and connect with lives and landscapes that supported the writing journey.
Ira Chauhan described Shadows of Azaadi as a deeply enlightening anthology that had been compiled with great thoughtfulness, love and care by Manisha Sobhrajani. She said that the stories in the collection were honest, heart-wrenching and hopeful despite the odds, and possessed the ability to change perspectives.
The discussion was followed by a screening of “Voy”, directed by Raj Bipin Malde. The award-winning documentary focused on visually impaired women who played football and explored how sport could become a space for courage, belonging and breaking barriers.
By bringing together literature, film and conversation, the evening reflected the kind of storytelling that WRI had built its work around over the past 18 years — stories that held complexity with care and created space for voices often left out of mainstream narratives.
Remya Sasindran, co-founder of WRI, said that creating and sharing stories had always remained central to the organisation’s work. As WRI completed 18 years, the organisation had sought to highlight the power of shared stories to bridge distances and help people understand lives different from their own so that communities could collectively move towards positive change. According to her, both Shadows of Azaadi and Voy offered an opportunity to do precisely that.
For nearly two decades, WRI has worked at the intersection of storytelling, film, strategic communication and participatory media to help organisations and communities engage with complex social issues. The anniversary event reflected the organisation’s enduring commitment to creating spaces where stories sparked dialogue, deepened understanding and contributed to more inclusive and informed public conversations.
WRI is an award-winning creative agency founded by Ajay Govind and Remya Sasindran. WRI uses storytelling, strategy and participatory media to support social change. Its work focuses on developing communication solutions that make complex issues accessible, human and engaging, while ensuring that the experiences, knowledge and priorities of affected communities are meaningfully represented. Through film, digital storytelling, writing and creative content, WRI helps organisations communicate with clarity, empathy and purpose.
The event was attended by writers, intellectuals, film enthusiasts, young participants and members of civil society, who actively engaged in the discussions and interactions throughout the evening.
