“Every Story Was Unique”: Excel Entertainment Co-Founder Ritesh Sidhwani Reflects on 25 Years from Dil Chahta Hai to Don!

Excel Entertainment and Amazon MGM Studios’ Mirzapur: The Movie has become one of the most eagerly awaited cinematic events in India, with hype steadily climbing since its official reveal. Marking the landmark big-screen leap of India’s biggest streaming franchise, the film brings the high-stakes world of Mirzapur to theaters for the very first time. With the explosive teaser and trailer setting the tone, fan anticipation has reached an absolute fever pitch.

As the film gears up for its release, Excel Entertainment co-founder Ritesh Sidhwani marks 25 glorious years in the Indian entertainment industry. His contribution to Indian cinema has been truly remarkable. Leading one of the country’s biggest production houses, he has always stayed true to his vision and continued to create stories that leave a lasting impact. Recently during an interview, When asked, “How has Excel’s run been in the last 25 years? And what makes you believe that a story must be told?”

Ritesh Sidhwani answered , “Dil Chahta Hai birthed bromance and friendship films in the industry. We then went on to make Lakshya followed by Don and Honeymoon Travels. Each of them were different from the other. Over time, we realized that a production company should feature diverse voices. It shouldn’t restrict itself to one particular genre, which many production houses tend to do. Till now, we only proceed with a film if we genuinely believe in the story 100%. However, there have been times when we believed in a project and it did not work. In those cases, we have always stood by our decisions. We have never gone back to the filmmaker and said, “I told you this wouldn’t work.” We are fortunate that such great stories continue to choose Excel Entertainment and it’s still going.”

Presented by Amazon MGM Studios and Excel Entertainment, Mirzapur: The Movie is directed by Gurmmeet Singh, written by Puneet Krishna, and produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar under the banner of Excel Entertainment. The film is co-produced by Kassim Jagmagia and Vishal Ramchandani.Mirzapur: The Movie releases in cinemas on 4th September 2026.

By Keerti Kadam