Excel Entertainment is an Indian film production company based in Mumbai, founded in 1999 by filmmaker Farhan Akhtar and producer Ritesh Sidhwani. The company has produced a range of Hindi-language feature films, web series, and digital content, and is regarded as one of the prominent independent production houses in the Indian film industry.
| Name | Excel Entertainment |
|---|---|
| Type | Film and content production company |
| Founders | Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Headquarters | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Industry | Hindi cinema, web content, music |
| Key people | Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani |
Farhan Akhtar, the son of lyricist Javed Akhtar and screenwriter Honey Irani, and Ritesh Sidhwani established Excel Entertainment with the intention of producing films that combined commercial appeal with contemporary storytelling. The company began operations in the late 1990s and made its production debut with the heist drama Dil Chahta Hai in 2001, which was also Farhan Akhtar's directorial debut.
Excel Entertainment has produced films across multiple genres, including drama, comedy, thriller, biographical, and action.
Excel Entertainment expanded into long-form digital content with productions such as Mirzapur, an Indian crime drama web series streamed on Amazon Prime Video, and Inside Edge, a series set against the backdrop of Twenty20 cricket. Both series have run for multiple seasons and contributed to the company's presence in the streaming segment.
The company has been associated with original soundtracks for many of its films, often working with music directors such as Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy. Excel also operates allied verticals in talent management and event production at various points in its history.
Excel Entertainment is credited with backing films that have influenced narrative trends in Hindi cinema, particularly in the depiction of friendship, urban life, and youth culture. Several of its productions have received National Film Awards and Filmfare Awards, and the company has been involved in projects that have travelled to international film festivals.