Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 8 (ANI): Story TV appointed former Yash Raj Films stalwart Manan Mehta as Senior Vice President, Content & Strategy to lead vertical storytelling for its platform.
According to the press note by Story TV, Manan Mehta brings over 20 years of experience across Business Strategy, Marketing and Content thought leadership, with experience across agencies and companies including Leo Burnett, Taproot, and Razorfish, followed by a significant 11+ years tenure at Yash Raj Films, one of India’s most premium film studios.
The appointment of Manan Mehta comes at a pivotal time for the entire vertical storytelling category, when the same category is emerging as one of the fastest-growing formats in digital entertainment.
Welcoming Manan Mehta, Saurabh Pandey, Founder and CEO, Story TV, said, “We are entering what we see as OTT 2.0. The grammar of entertainment is changing, and vertical storytelling is emerging as one of its most powerful expressions. Our focus is to move microdramas from a niche to a full-fledged entertainment ecosystem. We are on a journey to build an ecosystem where directors, writers, producers and top creative talent come together to define a new vertical-first language of storytelling that will scale both culturally and commercially,” as quoted in a press note.
“Manan joining Story TV strengthens our ambition to elevate vertical storytelling. His experience at Yash Raj Films brings studio-scale thinking and original storytelling, which will go a long way in making micro dramas mainstream. His role will be key in bridging traditional storytelling with the new vertical-first world, deepening talent partnerships, and scaling premium IPs,” added Pandey.
With Mehta joining the leadership team, Story TV aims to build a premium entertainment platform which is centred around marquee talent, high-quality storytelling and original intellectual property.
In his new role, he will lead the company’s strategy to develop premium vertical storytelling franchises, forge partnerships with leading actors, filmmakers and studios and strengthen Story TV’s position as the destination for premium vertical storytelling.
“Micro Drama has already arrived, but for premium vertical storytelling, there is no playbook that exists anywhere. And that’s exactly what excites me about this opportunity,” said Manan Mehta, SVP – Strategy and Content, Story TV, as quoted in a press note.
“Premium vertical storytelling is the next big shift in entertainment, and I’m thrilled to be part of building it with Saurabh and the entire team at Story TV,” added Mehta.
According to the press note, at Yash Raj Films, Manan Mehta worked closely with Aditya Chopra and played a key role in strengthening the studio’s brand and content marketing engine, helping position Yash Raj Films as one of India’s premium film studios. He led marketing and content strategy for over 26 films that collectively grossed approximately Rs 5,200 crore at the global box office.
As for Story TV, it was launched in 2025 and has emerged as India’s microdrama platform, pioneering a format that is reshaping mobile entertainment. (ANI)
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