As audiences increasingly consume entertainment on smartphones, the traditional boundaries of storytelling, screen formats and content distribution are changing rapidly. From short-form videos to vertical narratives, mobile-first entertainment is creating new opportunities for creators and platforms to rethink how stories are developed and consumed.
Swati Bhat
At the centre of this emerging space is Rohit Gupta, the Founder of Reeloid, a platform focused on vertical, mobile-first storytelling. With a background in chemical engineering, filmmaking and technology, Gupta’s journey reflects the convergence of creativity and digital innovation that is reshaping the entertainment industry.
Gupta began his professional career with an IT startup working on assessment and examination systems. His interests, however, remained closely connected to storytelling, design and the arts. He eventually began creating documentaries and short films, with his first documentary winning the Best Documentary Award at the Rajasthan International Film Festival. One of his short films was subsequently selected for the short film section at the Cannes International Film Festival.
His filmmaking journey has continued alongside his entrepreneurial work. Gupta is currently involved in a documentary project with the Indian Navy documenting the recreation of a fifth-century ship. The project has been in production for more than two years and has also received public acknowledgment from the Prime Minister through a social media post.
It was his early experiments with vertical storytelling that eventually led to Reeloid.
From Vertical Experiment to Reeloid
Gupta says the idea for Reeloid took shape in 2021, when he was experimenting with vertical video content. Along with his team, he developed a 12-minute vertical drama divided into one-minute episodes.
At a time when the format was still relatively unfamiliar to mainstream OTT platforms, the team eventually released the project independently. The response encouraged Gupta to explore the format further. “The idea for Reeloid emerged in 2021 when I was working on vertical video content and realized that storytelling itself could be adapted to a vertical, mobile-first format,” Mr.Gupta explains. For him, the evolution of storytelling is closely connected to changing audience behaviour. Reeloid takes its name from the combination of the cinematic idea of celluloid and the accessibility of mobile-first entertainment, reflecting the platform’s larger ambition.
Keeping Storytelling Human in an AI-Driven Industry
While artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming part of entertainment production, Gupta believes technology should support storytelling rather than replace the creative process. Reeloid works with writers and creators to develop character-driven narratives across genres including romance, drama, horror and slice-of-life stories. The emphasis, according to Mr.Gupta, is on relatable characters and authentic emotional experiences rather than simply reproducing formats that have performed well elsewhere. “Storytelling remains a deeply human craft,” he says, while acknowledging that AI can play a role in production planning, content analysis and optimisation. This philosophy also informs Reeloid’s approach to audience engagement. Mr.Gupta believes strong hooks can attract viewers, but relatability is what ultimately sustains their interest.
One example he cites is an early story centred on a woman entrepreneur starting a cloud kitchen, which connected strongly with viewers. Rather than attempting to create content for every demographic, Reeloid focuses on specific audience segments and stories designed around their experiences and aspirations.
Technology as an Enabler
For a mobile-first entertainment platform, technology is not simply a distribution mechanism. It also shapes how content can be produced, adapted and monetised.
Gupta says Reeloid has developed its own technology platform, giving the company greater flexibility to experiment with different business models beyond conventional subscription and advertising-led approaches. The platform also uses AI at different stages of the production process, including planning, post-production and content optimisation. Mr.Gupta, however, maintains that technological advancement has to remain secondary to the creative purpose of a story. “Our goal is to leverage advanced tools to improve efficiency and audience experience while preserving the creative integrity and emotional depth of storytelling,” he says. The approach also opens possibilities around adapting existing content for vertical consumption and exploring new forms of mobile storytelling.
Taking Indian Stories to a Global Audience
Rohit Gupta’s long-term ambition extends beyond creating another short-form content platform. He wants Reeloid to become a destination for vertical storytelling while taking Indian narratives to audiences outside India. The strategy involves experimenting with genres and formats while using audience insights and performance data to understand which concepts have the potential to develop further. That could eventually allow stories that begin as mobile-first vertical content to expand into larger entertainment properties, including feature films and long-format productions. For Rohit Gupta, the opportunity lies in connecting technology, audience behaviour and traditional storytelling craft. “My vision for Reeloid is to become a global destination for vertical storytelling while showcasing authentic Indian narratives to international audiences,” he says.
From engineering to filmmaking and now mobile-first entertainment, Mr.Rohit’s journey reflects an industry where creative instincts and technological capabilities are increasingly intertwined. Reeloid represents his attempt to build within that intersection creating a platform where stories are designed not only for a new generation of screens, but also for the changing ways audiences discover, experience and connect with entertainment.
About Rohit Gupta
Rohit Gupta is a filmmaker, storyteller and entrepreneur and the Founder of Reeloid. A chemical engineer by education, he transitioned into filmmaking and digital entertainment, with recognition for his work at the Rajasthan International Film Festival and Cannes. He continues to work across documentaries, films and emerging digital entertainment formats.
Website: reeloid.app
