Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani Launch Excel Origins to Nurture Emerging Filmmakers!

Farhan Akhtar and #RiteshSidhwani are drawing from their own journey of receiving that crucial first break to unlock opportunities for the next generation of storytellers. Through Excel Entertainment, the duo recently unveiled Excel Origins—a targeted initiative designed to mentor emerging directors and back original, high-concept narratives. For Akhtar, the vision stems from recalling their early days in the industry and the pivotal value of having someone place trust in their creative direction.

“When we were young and looking to make our first film, it was important that we had people who believed in it. Life has been really good to us. It’s a good time to support young voices who are in that same place as we were in our early 20s. We have incredibly talented storytellers in this country. A lot of them don’t find the right avenues to be able to show their talent. Our intention is to find projects that’s not going to be echo of something that’s already out there,” Akhtar told The Indian Express.

The initiative, therefore, is rooted in the filmmakers’ own journey rather than simply being an expansion of Excel Entertainment’s existing slate. Akhtar and Sidhwani, who launched Excel Entertainment in 1999, went on to back Dil Chahta Hai, which marked Akhtar’s directorial debut and became one of the defining films of its generation.

Twenty-five years after Dil Chahta Hai, Akhtar says the industry continues to have talented storytellers who need the right platform. With Excel Origins, the partners are looking to identify those voices early and give them the backing that they themselves valued when they were trying to make their first film.

The emphasis, however, appears to be firmly on originality. Akhtar’s said that the intention is to find projects that are not simply reproducing ideas or formats that have already worked, but stories that can bring a different voice to the screen.

By Keerti Kadam