Yash Raj Films (YRF) has announced a strategic investment in Rusk Media, a digital-first entertainment company in India that specialises in vertical storytelling IP for Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences.
Akshaye Widhani (left) and Mayank Yadav
The investment, financial details of which were not disclosed, backs Rusk Media’s vision to build the next generation of enduring digital IP for India and the world, YRF said.
Under the partnership, YRF will oversee the creative direction of original animation and vertical microdrama IP, while Rusk Media will produce and distribute the content through its proprietary Alright! TV platform and global digital channels.
The collaboration aims at fuelling YRF and Rusk Media’s shared ambition of establishing India as a creative force in the vertical entertainment economy through original IP across animation and vertical microdrama on Alright! TV and other platforms.
Headquartered in Mumbai, YRF was founded in 1970 by the late Yash Chopra and operates across production, post-production, domestic and international distribution, music, digital content, marketing, talent management, licensing, merchandising, brand partnerships and studio operations.
Rusk Media, meanwhile, was founded in 2019 and has produced content for platforms in India such as Amazon MX Player and JioHotstar.
Mayank Yadav, co-founder and CEO of Rusk Media, said: “Vertical entertainment in India has produced extraordinary reach, but not the enduring IP that defines a category. 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.”
Akshaye Widhani, CEO at YRF, said: “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. Together, the aspiration is to build worlds, not just content.”
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