ReelDrama is an OTT Platform focused on promoting Indian regional content, particularly Assamese-language entertainment.
Aakash Dasgupta serves as Director of ReelDrama. With an academic background in Computer Science from the University of Illinois Chicago and Manipal Institute of Technology, he brings a unique blend of technology expertise and strategic leadership to the evolving OTT landscape. As Head of IT and Director at ReelDrama, he plays a pivotal role in driving the platform’s technological innovation, user experience, business growth, and content accessibility.
As regional content continues to gain prominence across digital platforms, Aakash can offer valuable perspectives on the opportunities and challenges of building a regional OTT ecosystem, leveraging technology to enhance audience engagement, and unlocking the untapped potential of India’s diverse linguistic markets.
Medianews4u.com caught up with Aakash Dasgupta, Director of ReelDrama.
Q. Why did you choose to build a streaming app just for Assamese content instead of focussing on mass Hindi content?
Assamese audiences have always loved stories in their own language, but for a long time they had very few digital platforms dedicated exclusively to them. At the same time, many talented Assamese filmmakers struggled to find a sustainable avenue for showcasing their work, especially given the limited reach of theatrical releases.
We saw that gap as an opportunity. Reeldrama was built with a simple vision—to create a dedicated home for Assamese stories and the people who create them. We believe regional storytelling deserves the same respect and visibility as mainstream content.
Our focus isn’t on competing with Hindi OTT platforms; it’s on serving Assamese audiences with authentic stories that reflect their culture, language and identity. If we do that well, we believe Assamese content can reach viewers far beyond Assam.
Q. OTT platforms like Netflix, Prime Video and JioCinema have thousands of crores and the best tech teams in the world. When local viewers can easily watch massive global blockbusters on those apps, how exactly do you plan to convince them to pay a separate subscription fee for ReelDrama, and how will you make enough money to keep funding high-quality local shows?
We don’t see ourselves competing with global OTT platforms—they offer incredible breadth of content. Reeldrama offers something different: authentic Assamese stories that audiences cannot find anywhere else. Beyond language, our content philosophy is also different.
From the very beginning, we’ve consciously chosen to create family-friendly entertainment—stories that parents and children can enjoy together. We generally avoid excessive profanity, explicit content and the unnecessary glorification of smoking or drinking because we want Reeldrama to be a platform families can trust.
People subscribe to a platform because it offers something unique and meaningful. Along with high-quality original Assamese films and web series, we believe that trusted, family-oriented entertainment is an important part of our identity. As long as we continue creating stories that resonate with audiences while staying true to these values, we believe people will continue to support Reeldrama.
Q. What is the hardest part about getting older families in Assam to download and use a digital streaming app?
Like every digital platform, encouraging first-time OTT users to adopt streaming has been a learning process. The biggest challenge isn’t willingness—it’s familiarity with the technology. Fortunately, we’ve seen that barrier reduce significantly over the last few years as smartphone usage has grown across all age groups.
At Reeldrama, we’ve focussed on keeping the app simple and intuitive, while our local customer support team is always available to assist users whenever they need help. Once people discover the convenience of watching Assamese content anytime and anywhere, they usually become comfortable using the platform.
Q. When will regional Assamese films finally get the same massive budgets as Bollywood?
Bigger budgets will come as the Assamese film industry continues to grow, but budget alone doesn’t define great cinema. Some of the most acclaimed films in India and around the world have been made with modest resources and exceptional storytelling.
Our focus at Reeldrama is to invest in strong scripts, talented filmmakers and meaningful stories. As the market expands and audiences grow, production budgets will naturally evolve. But regardless of the budget, our commitment will always be to create content that audiences remember and connect with.
Q. Some recent users on the Google Play Store complain that the app buffers constantly and content fails to load. How are you fixing these server bugs for users who live in rural areas with weak mobile data?
Delivering a smooth streaming experience across a geographically diverse state like Assam is an ongoing priority for us. While streaming quality can sometimes be affected by users’ network conditions, we continuously optimise our platform to ensure the best possible performance.
Reeldrama supports adaptive streaming from 240p to 4K, which means the video quality automatically adjusts based on the viewer’s internet speed to minimise buffering. We also regularly monitor user feedback, improve our streaming infrastructure, and release app updates to enhance stability and performance. Our goal is to make Assamese entertainment accessible, whether someone is watching from a city or a remote village.
Q. Why did your iOS app go so long without a working subscription payment feature for Apple users?
When we launched Reeldrama, the overwhelming majority of our subscribers were on Android, so our initial product development focused on delivering the best possible experience for that user base.
As our iOS audience has grown, enabling native subscription support on Apple devices has become a key priority. We’re pleased to share that this functionality will be introduced in our upcoming app update, making it even easier for iPhone and iPad users to subscribe and enjoy Reeldrama.
Q. How do you find and fund local writers or filmmakers who have great stories but zero money to produce them?
At Reeldrama, we believe great stories are more important than big budgets. We actively seek out original ideas from local writers and evaluate them based on their storytelling potential, not the financial resources behind them.
Once we acquire a story, we work with filmmakers whose creative strengths best match the project and provide the necessary production support to bring it to life. One of our core objectives is to create opportunities for Assamese writers, directors and technicians to tell stories that might otherwise never reach an audience.
Q. What kind of shows do Assamese people living abroad look for on your platform?
We’ve found that Assamese audiences living outside India enjoy the same genres as viewers back home—thrillers, crime dramas, action and family entertainment are consistently popular. But beyond genre, many of them tell us they subscribe because Reeldrama helps them stay connected to their roots. Watching stories in their own language allows them to reconnect with Assam’s culture, people and emotions, no matter where they live.
That’s what makes our audience unique. They’re not just looking for entertainment—they’re looking for stories that feel like home. Many Assamese families living outside India tell us that they enjoy watching Reeldrama together because they know our content is family-friendly. It allows parents and children to reconnect with Assamese language, culture and storytelling without worrying about explicit scenes or excessive profanity.
Q. Aggregators like Tata Play Binge are putting multiple regional apps under one single roof. If viewers prefer buying these giant bundles over individual apps, are independent platforms like yours going to lose control over your own customer data and long-term survival?
We see aggregator platforms as an opportunity to introduce Reeldrama to audiences who may not have discovered us otherwise. They help expand our reach, while our own app remains the primary destination where we build a direct relationship with our subscribers.
We believe both models can coexist. Aggregators increase discoverability, while our own platform allows us to continuously improve the user experience, understand our audience better, and build a long-term community around Assamese entertainment. Our focus is not on choosing one over the other, but on making Reeldrama accessible wherever our audience prefers to watch.
Q. When will you expand into other North-Eastern languages or languages like Bengali?
Our immediate focus is to build the strongest possible platform for Assamese entertainment. While the North-East is home to many rich languages and cultures, we believe every language deserves dedicated attention rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
There is still tremendous potential within the Assamese market, both in India and among Assamese audiences around the world. Right now, our priority is to serve that audience better with more original films, web series and an even stronger viewing experience. We’ll continue to evaluate opportunities in the future, but only when we’re confident we can do justice to another language and its storytelling tradition.
Q. What is your main tech strategy to stop people from pirating your original web series on Telegram?
Piracy is an industry-wide challenge that affects every streaming platform, regardless of its size. While it’s impossible to eliminate it completely, we continuously invest in technologies and processes that help protect our content.
Reeldrama uses Digital Rights Management (DRM), limits concurrent streaming and content downloads, and actively monitors unauthorised distribution wherever possible. At the same time, we believe the best long-term solution is to provide audiences with an affordable, high-quality and convenient viewing experience that makes legal access the preferred choice.
Q. Finally what is the next big feature you are adding to the app this year?
This year, we’ve completely reimagined the Reeldrama experience with a refreshed user interface, faster app performance and a significantly improved streaming experience across devices. Going forward, our focus is on making content discovery smarter, enhancing personalisation and continuously improving the viewing experience for our subscribers.
As we grow, our technology roadmap will always be guided by one objective—making it easier for audiences to discover and enjoy the best of Assamese entertainment.
