Twenty-five years after Dil Chahta Hai introduced a new voice to Hindi cinema, Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani are looking towards the next generation. As their production house, Excel Entertainment completes 25 years, the duo has announced Excel Origins, a new initiative aimed at discovering, developing and backing young filmmakers.
The announcement comes on the 25th anniversary of Dil Chahta Hai, Farhan’s directorial debut and the first film produced by Excel Entertainment. Released in 2001, the film brought a distinctly contemporary take on friendship, relationships and urban youth to the screen and went on to become one of the defining films of its generation.
Sharing the announcement on social media, Excel Entertainment looked back at where it began. The note read, “25 years ago, we started Excel Entertainment and began work on a film called Dil Chahta Hai. We had a simple brief – New voices and different ways of telling stories will find an audience.”
The note continued, “We were twenty-six years old. We didn’t have all the answers, but we had an idea we believed in, the courage to take risks and the tenacity to make it happen. As we look back at everything this journey has given us, we also find ourselves thinking about what the next 25 years have in store for us. We believe it will include Excel empowering young, aspiring filmmakers with bold ideas and the courage to tell stories differently.”
They continued, “So, as Excel celebrates its silver anniversary, we are launching EXCEL ORIGINS – an initiative to discover and back the next generation of filmmakers. New voice. 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 Originals. Ritesh & Farhan.”
After Dil Chahta Hai, the production house backed films such as Lakshya, Don, Rock On!!, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Talaash, Fukrey, Dil Dhadakne Do and Gully Boy, among others. Over the years, the production house has worked with filmmakers and writers with distinct voices, while also expanding into streaming with projects including Inside Edge, Mirzapur, Made in Heaven and Dahaad.
