New Delhi, India – After leaving a lasting impact on cinema lovers with the sci-fi supernatural thriller BAIDA, storyteller-filmmaker Sudhanshu Rai is back — this time with a never-seen-before initiative aimed at celebrating and spreading the magic of storytelling. Aiming to bolster his #bondwithstories campaign, this bold and interactive initiative will see India’s favourite storyteller take on live storytelling challenges with a cash prize of ₹1 Lakh at stake. Sudhanshu Rai announced the same on his social media handles: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJRSBAvTbzT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
In this unprecedented initiative, anyone can challenge Sudhanshu live on YouTube by giving him a word. If he fails to weave a story or concept around it within 60 seconds, the challenger will walk away with ₹1 Lakh in prize money. The initiative is one of the components of the larger #BondWithStories campaign that tries to bring out the strength of storytelling across age, profession, and community. Through this campaign, Sudhanshu Rai aims to spread the message on how storytelling can enhance one’s imagination, boost mental wellness, and further develop social connections for a healthy and sustainable environment.
Sudhanshu Rai has built a unique niche for himself over the years. He gained much popularity with his web series Detective Boomrah and his short film Chaipatti. Sudhanshu has already written more than 500 stories in various genres such as Sci-fi, Horror, Detective, and Romantic Thriller. He is also the creator of popular fictional characters such as Detective Boomrah, Doctor Shekhawat, etc.
Expressing his views on the campaign, Sudhanshu says, “Storytelling gives us wings by allowing us to fly in a realm never explored before. It appeals to our senses in a way that evokes diverse emotions. Thus, by appealing to our imaginative skills it helps us to transform into the extraordinary. Through this campaign, I am trying to build a culture of storytelling wherein each individual regardless of their age will be able to get maximum benefit for their wellbeing.”
The live storytelling challenge is expected to kick off in the last week of May 2025 and the never before seen initiative will see the Storyteller taking live words from the participants and narrating stories on the spot. If this is going to work or not only time will tell, but the objective #bondwithstories shall prevail.