{"id":36368,"date":"2026-08-10T11:32:25","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T06:32:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=36368"},"modified":"2026-08-10T11:32:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T06:32:25","slug":"farhan-akhtar-ritesh-sidhwani-launch-excel-origins-initiative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=36368","title":{"rendered":"Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani Launch Excel Origins Initiative"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/t\/excel-entertainment\/\" id=\"auto-tag_excel-entertainment\" data-tag=\"excel-entertainment\">Excel Entertainment<\/a> is marking its 25th anniversary with the launch of \u201cExcel Origins,\u201d an initiative from co-founders <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/t\/ritesh-sidhwani\/\" id=\"auto-tag_ritesh-sidhwani\" data-tag=\"ritesh-sidhwani\">Ritesh Sidhwani<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/t\/farhan-akhtar\/\" id=\"auto-tag_farhan-akhtar\" data-tag=\"farhan-akhtar\">Farhan Akhtar<\/a> dedicated to discovering, developing and backing the next generation of Indian filmmakers under 30.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tSidhwani and Akhtar were 26 years old when they founded Excel Entertainment and began work on their first film, \u201cDil Chahta Hai.\u201d The film became a defining title for its generation and set the template for the company\u2019s focus on fresh voices, original ideas and creative risk-taking.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tIn a joint statement, Sidhwani and Akhtar said, \u201c25 years ago, we started Excel Entertainment and began work on a film called \u2018Dil Chahta Hai.\u2019 We had a simple belief \u2013 New voices and a different way of telling stories, will find an audience. We were 26 years old. We didn\u2019t have all the answers but we had an idea we believed in, the courage to take risks and the tenacity to make it happen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tThe founders framed the new initiative as an extension of that founding philosophy, applied to a new generation of talent.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t\u201cAs we look back at everything this journey has given us, we also find ourselves thinking about what the next 25 years has in store for us. We believe it will include Excel empowering young, aspiring filmmakers with bold ideas and the courage to tell stories differently,\u201d they said. \u201cSo, as Excel celebrates its silver anniversary, we\u2019re launching Excel Origins \u2013 an initiative to discover and back the next generation of filmmakers. New voices. Original stories. Breakthrough genres. Because the best way for us to celebrate where we came from is to invest in where cinema goes next. 25 years of Excel. Now, back to our Origins.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tUnder the new banner, Excel plans to scout emerging directors and writers, offering them backing and creative latitude to pursue original material rather than proven formats. The company said its search will span multiple genres and storytelling forms, and will extend to casting opportunities for actors and other talent who are similarly early in their careers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tSidhwani and Akhtar described the effort as bigger than any single slate of titles. The goal, they said, is to build an ongoing supply line of new directing, writing and acting talent, alongside original intellectual property, that will shape Excel\u2019s output over the coming years, with the company framing the push as a bet on unproven talent at a moment when much of the industry leans on established names and familiar formulas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tSince \u201cDil Chahta Hai,\u201d Excel Entertainment has built a filmography spanning \u201cZindagi Na Milegi Dobara,\u201d the \u201cDon\u201d and \u201cFukrey\u201d franchises, \u201cRaees,\u201d \u201cDil Dhadakne Do\u201d and \u201cGully Boy.\u201d The company also produced \u201cInside Edge,\u201d India\u2019s first original series for Prime Video, and went on to make \u201cMirzapur,\u201d \u201cMade in Heaven,\u201d \u201cDahaad\u201d and \u201cBambai Meri Jaan\u201d for the platform.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Excel Entertainment is marking its 25th anniversary with the launch of \u201cExcel Origins,\u201d an initiative from co-founders Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar dedicated to discovering, developing and backing the next generation of Indian filmmakers under 30. Sidhwani and Akhtar were 26 years old when they founded Excel Entertainment and began work on their first film,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36369,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Ritesh-Sidhwani-Farhan-Akhtar.jpg?w=1000&h=563&crop=1","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pics-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36368","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=36368"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36368\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/36369"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=36368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=36368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=36368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}