Yash Raj Films Bets ₹150 Crore on Micro-Dramas — Bollywood’s Biggest Studio Is Going Bite-Sized!

Yash Raj Films — the house that built Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge — is now betting big on two-minute stories. And honestly? The numbers make total sense. The Big Move:…

By Reetam Bodhak

April 30, 2026

3 min read

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Yash Raj Films — the house that built Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge — is now betting big on two-minute stories. And honestly? The numbers make total sense.

The Big Move: What Yash Raj Films Is Planning

Reliable sources confirm that Yash Raj Films is investing ₹150 crore in the creation of micro-dramas over the next few years — the amount split between producing short-format content and building a direct-to-consumer (D2C) application to host it. Bollywood Hungama

The move signals the studio’s intent to expand beyond traditional release models and engage audiences directly.

Key Detail	Info
Investment	₹150 Crore
Format	Micro-Dramas + D2C App
Led By	CEO Akshaye Widhani
Creative Head	Saugata Mukherjee (ex-SonyLIV)
Model	Mobile-first, micropayment-based
Inspiration Market	China ($5–6 Billion USD industry)

Who’s Leading the Charge?

The new vertical will be led by YRF CEO Akshaye Widhani, who produced Saiyaara — the most profitable film in the studio’s history. Widhani has also brought on board Saugata Mukherjee, formerly of SonyLIV, to lead creative development across streaming shows, films, and micro-dramas.

Mukherjee is known for shaping premium original programming at SonyLIV, where he supported narrative-led shows that helped the platform stand out in a competitive streaming space. This is a seriously strong duo to lead India’s most ambitious micro-drama play yet. Storyboard18

Why Micro-Dramas? The Global Proof Is Undeniable

Micro-drama storytelling has seen significant success in markets such as China, where the segment is estimated at RMB 35–40 billion ($5–6 billion USD), with projections of RMB 50–70 billion ($7–10 billion USD) over the next two years. The format is driven by mobile-first consumption, short-duration episodes, scalable micropayment models, and a user base of 400–600 million viewers. 1650 AM

India, with its massive smartphone penetration and data-hungry youth, is the next natural frontier. To understand the broader micro-drama format and its global growth, Wikipedia offers a solid primer.

For YRF, the bet is clear — in a world of shrinking attention spans, the next blockbuster might just be bite-sized. Indiantelevision

YRF entering this space alongside a proprietary D2C app means they’re not just making content — they’re building a distribution moat. For more Bollywood business and entertainment tech news, follow TechnoSports.

FAQs

Q: What is YRF’s ₹150 crore micro-drama investment about?

Yash Raj Films is investing ₹150 crore to create short-format micro-drama content and build a direct-to-consumer app to host it, led by CEO Akshaye Widhani.

Q: Who is heading YRF’s new micro-drama vertical?

YRF CEO Akshaye Widhani is spearheading the initiative, with Saugata Mukherjee, formerly of SonyLIV, joining as Head of Content for creative development.