From ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ to ‘Don’: Ritesh Sidhwani on Excel’s 25-year journey
As anticipation continues to build around the theatrical adaptation of one of India’s most popular streaming franchises ‘Mirzapur’, Excel Entertainment co-founder Ritesh Sidhwani is celebrating 25 years in the entertainment industry.
Over the years, Excel Entertainment has earned a reputation for backing stories that span genres and generations. From redefining friendship films with ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ to delivering projects such as ‘Lakshya’, ‘Don’, and’ Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.’, the production house has consistently embraced diverse narratives rather than limiting itself to a single storytelling formula.
Reflecting on Excel Entertainment’s evolution, Ritesh Sidhwani shared, “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.”
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The philosophy of prioritizing compelling storytelling has been central to Excel Entertainment’s success, and ‘Mirzapur: The Movie’ is the latest example of that vision. Bringing the gritty and beloved world of Mirzapur to cinemas for the first time, the film has already generated significant buzz through its teaser and trailer, setting the stage for one of the most anticipated releases of 2026.
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. The film is co-produced by Kassim Jagmagia and Vishal Ramchandani and is slated to release in cinemas on Friday 4th of September 2026.
