Archive · 10 Aug 2026
Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani Launch Excel Origins at 25-Year Mark
Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani are two friends who run a movie-making company in India called Excel Entertainment.
Their company has been making movies for 25 years.
To celebrate, they started a new program called Excel Origins.
This program will help new movie makers in India who are younger than 30 years old.
When Farhan and Ritesh started the company, they were 26 years old.
Their first movie was called Dil Chahta Hai.
It was about three college friends with different personalities who grow into adults.
It became a big hit and won awards.
Farhan thanked the audience for keeping the movie alive and relevant.
Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani announced Excel Origins, an initiative to discover, develop and back Indian filmmakers under the age of 30.
The announcement was made Monday on Instagram, with a poster carrying a note about Excel Entertainment's journey.
Excel Entertainment's debut film, Dil Chahta Hai (2001), was directed by Akhtar and starred Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna.
Reports differ on box office figures: one says Dil Chahta Hai earned over Rs 40 crore, while another says it collected nearly Rs 34 crore against an Rs 8 crore budget and won National Film Awards.
The company, formed in 1999, has since produced films such as Don, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Gully Boy.
- Who
- Filmmakers Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, co-founders of Excel Entertainment.
- What
- Launched Excel Origins, an initiative to discover and back the next generation of Indian filmmakers under the age of 30.
- When
- Monday, as Excel Entertainment marks its 25th year (one report says 26 years in the industry).
- Where
- Announced on Instagram; pertains to the Indian film industry.
- Why
- To celebrate the banner's silver anniversary and invest in the future of cinema.
- Production house
- Excel Entertainment
- New initiative
- Excel Origins
- Initiative goal
- Support Indian filmmakers under the age of 30
- Founded
- 1999
- Anniversary
- 25 years (one report says 26 years in the industry)
- Debut film
- Dil Chahta Hai (2001)
- Dil Chahta Hai box office
- Over Rs 40 crore per one report; nearly Rs 34 crore per another
- Announcement platform
