Yash Raj Films (YRF), one of India’s most prominent film production houses, has announced a strategic investment in Rusk Media, a leading digital-first entertainment company known for creating original vertical storytelling and content tailored for mobile-first audiences. The collaboration marks a significant step in YRF’s expansion into the rapidly growing digital entertainment ecosystem, with both companies aiming to create the next generation of enduring intellectual properties (IP) for audiences in India and across the world.
The investment reflects a shared vision of building long-lasting franchises rather than simply producing short-form content. As part of the partnership, YRF will oversee the creative development of original animation and vertical micro-drama IP, leveraging its decades of storytelling expertise and filmmaking legacy. Rusk Media, on the other hand, will handle the production and distribution of the content through its proprietary platform, Alright! TV, as well as its extensive network of global digital channels.
The collaboration comes at a time when vertical video content and mobile-first storytelling are witnessing rapid growth, particularly among younger audiences. By combining YRF’s experience in creating iconic cinematic universes with Rusk Media’s deep understanding of digital content consumption, the two companies aim to establish original franchises that can transcend platforms and resonate with audiences for years to come.
Speaking about the partnership, Akshaye Widhani, Chief Executive Officer of Yash Raj Films, said the collaboration is driven by a vision to build lasting entertainment worlds rather than content designed solely for immediate consumption.
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“The aspiration of this collaboration is to build worlds and not just content,” Widhani said in a statement. “The instinct to evolve has always been central to YRF’s DNA. Platforms are infrastructure, content and IP are culture. Mayank and his team at Rusk Media have built a deep understanding of how the next generation discovers and inhabits stories, and that is exactly the kind of vision we want to invest in.”
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He added that YRF sees the future of entertainment as being driven by compelling intellectual property that can engage audiences across multiple formats, making this investment a natural extension of the studio’s long-term creative strategy.ย Mayank Yadav, Co-Founder and CEO of Rusk Media, echoed the sentiment, saying the partnership is designed to address a key gap in India’s fast-growing vertical entertainment space.
“Vertical entertainment in India has produced extraordinary reach, but not the enduring IP that defines a category,” Yadav said. “That is the gap this collaboration is designed to close. We bring a native understanding of how digitally native audiences discover and build community around content, and with YRF’s backing, we are building for longevity, not the algorithm.”
He noted that Rusk Media’s expertise lies in understanding evolving audience behaviour across digital platforms, while YRF’s legacy of storytelling and brand-building provides the ideal foundation for creating memorable entertainment franchises that can thrive beyond social media trends.
The partnership underscores the increasing convergence of traditional film studios and digital-first content creators as the entertainment industry continues to evolve. By investing in original animation and micro-drama formats, YRF and Rusk Media are positioning themselves to tap into the growing demand for premium short-form storytelling while focusing on building characters, narratives and worlds that can have lasting cultural impact.
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