RITESH SIDHWANI

Ritesh Sidhwani is one of the principal driving forces and co-founder of the path breaking and highly successful film production house, aptly named Excel Entertainment. His very first film, Dil Chahta Hai, not only achieved cult status for pioneering a new genre in Indian cinema but also won him a National Award in 2001. His contribution to the world of cinema is two-fold; on one hand, his productions introduced global film making techniques and perspectives to the Indian audiences while on the other hand, he ensured that Hindi films became extremely appealing and entertaining for international audiences. His professionalism and dedication were vindicated once again in 2008 when he won the National Award for the musical- Rock On.

In a little over a decade, Ritesh has been instrumental in promoting young and fresh talent by providing a platform in Excel for debutant directors, writers, actors etc. which supports and encourages creative film making. His body of work, encompassing over a dozen feature films , has been varied and diverse in their themes, ranging from “coming of age” films to fast-paced action thrillers. The DNA of Excel rests on the double helix of artistic treatment blended with commercial acumen and that has paid rich dividends at the box office, like the latest blockbusters, Dil Dhadakne Do, Talaash, Don 2, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and the recent Gully Boy (India’s first hip hop film). Ritesh has taken his passion for innovation a notch higher, by setting up an exclusive division under Excel Media & Entertainment to create original content for various digital platforms which can transcend geographical boundaries and reach larger audiences.

With Excel Entertainment’s first foray into the digital universe after feature films, Ritesh pioneered the development of India’s first Original series “Inside Edge” on Amazon Prime Video, one of the leading video streaming services in the world. Inside Edge was nominated for the coveted International Emmy Awards 2018 under the category of Best Drama Series. Post the success of Inside Edge, Amazon commissioned two more shows titled Mirzapur and Made In Heaven, both of which received great critical acclaim and viewership.

Ritesh has also been personally associated with the Dubai “Bollywood Parks” project, where he introduced experiential adventures, featuring some of Excel’s film projects, giving the audience opportunities to engage with larger-than-life moments.

As a young boy, Ritesh was fascinated by the wonderful world of films and couldn’t wait to grow up and be a part of that magical realm. Ironically, life had other plans and he began his career at Marlex, the home appliances Company that his family owned. For six long years, he remained an enthusiastic learner, and developed strong marketing and business development skills. He discovered that he was an inspiring team-builder and enjoyed a track record of motivating his colleagues to achieve exceptional business performance. Along the way, he proved to be versatile and was quick to learn new skills and was equally at ease to work on his own initiative or as part of a team. Having proved that he had the ability to operate successfully in a commercial environment, he took a leap of faith, and from the world of marketing home appliances, plunged headlong into unknown territory and set up Excel Entertainment Private Limited in partnership with his long time friend and confidante, Farhan Akhtar. Thus began a partnership that has gone from strength to strength.

Filmography

  • Dil Chahta Hai (2001) – Producer 
  • Lakshya (2004) – Producer 
  • Don (2006) – Producer 
  • Honey Moon Travels Pvt Ltd (2007) – Producer 
  • Positive (2007) – Producer 
  • Rock On!! (2008) – Producer 
  • Luck By Chance (2009) – Producer 
  • Karthik Calling Karthik (2010) – Producer 
  • Game (2011) – Producer 
  • Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) – Producer 
  • Don 2 (2011) – Producer 
  • Talaash(2012) – Producer 
  • Fukrey(2013) – Producer 
  • Dil Dhadakne Do (2015) – Producer 
  • Bangistan (2015) – Producer 
  • Baar Baar Dekho (2016) – Producer 
  • Rock On 2 (2016) – Producer 
  • Raees (2016) – Producer 
  • Fukrey Returns (2018) – Producer 
  • 3 Storeys (2018) – Producer 
  • Gold (2018) – Producer 
  • KGF Chapter 1 (2018) -Presented by
  • Gully Boy (2019) – Producer
  • Syeraa (2019) – Presented by
  • Hello Charlie (2021) producer
  • Toofaan (2021) – Producer
  • Sharmaji Namkeen (2022) – Producer
  • KGF 2 (2022) – Presented By
  • Phonebhoot (2022) – Producer
  • Kho Gaye Hum Kaha (2023) – To Be Released
  • Yudhra (2023) – To Be Released
  • Fukrey 3 (2023) – To Be Released
  • Agni (2023) – To be released 
  • Madgaon Express (2023) – To be released 
  • Jee Le Zara (2024) – To be released 

Original Series 

  • Inside Edge (2017) – Executive Producer
  • Mirzapur (2018) – Executive Producer 
  • Made In Heaven (2019) – Executive Producer 
  • Inside Edge 2 (2019) – Executive Producer
  • Mirzapur 2 (2020) – Executive Producer
  • Inside Edge 3 (2021) – Executive Producer
  • Eternally Confused and Eager for Love (2022) – Executive producer
  • Made In Heaven 2 (2023) – To Be Released
  • Dahaad (2023) – To Be Released
  • Bambai Meri Jaan (2023) – To Be Released
  • Mirzapur 3 (2023) – To Be Released