Meghalaya filmmaker Raphael Warjri highlights state's rich cultural heritage through art

Meghalaya-based artist and filmmaker Raphael Warjri has shared his commitment to art, describing it as a passion and dedication beyond mere execution. He mentioned that the goal is to highlight Meghalaya's rich cultural heritage to ensure that people understand and appreciate the state.

 
"My involvement in art is not just for art's sake. It is beyond that," he said, further explaining that art is not just a 'superficial execution'.
 

One of his most significant projects, he explained, was the creation of a sculpture of U Tirot Singh, Meghalaya's great freedom fighter, commissioned by the government of Meghalaya. 
 

Warjri said that the sculpture was unveiled as a tribute to the warrior's historical connection to Dhaka, Bangladesh, where he was once imprisoned and later died. 
 

The artwork was part of a broader initiative led by the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.
 

Warjri expressed his gratitude to the government of Meghalaya for entrusting him with the task. However, the sculpture, was destroyed during the political turmoil in Bangladesh. 
 

Despite the destruction, Warjri remains committed to his mission to project and preserve the cultural heritage of Meghalaya.
 

Contemporary art, Warjri says, seeks to reveal deeper meanings about what a particular art has to depict.
 

"This kind of involvement is a passion, and dedication to the work has given a fillip so we can work in a way that satisfies the customer and we are also content when the job is done," he added.
 

He further informed that he is working on projects in association with the MES 101 Area, ICAR and the Archaeological Survey of India.