Excel Entertainment, the Mumbai-based production house founded by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, has launched "Excel Origins" to mark its 25th anniversary, an initiative aimed at discovering, developing and backing Indian filmmakers under the age of 30. The scheme revives the spirit in which the company itself began, with Sidhwani and Akhtar, then both 26, founding Excel Entertainment in 2000 while making their debut film "Dil Chahta Hai," a title that went on to define its generation and establish the studio's reputation for fresh voices and original storytelling.

Under the new banner, Excel plans to scout emerging directors and writers across multiple genres and formats, offering them creative backing to develop original material rather than proven formulas, with the search also extending to casting opportunities for early-career actors. The founders described it as a long-term effort to build an ongoing pipeline of new talent and intellectual property, rather than a one-off slate of projects. Since "Dil Chahta Hai," Excel's filmography has included "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara," the "Don" and "Fukrey" franchises, "Raees," "Dil Dhadakne Do," "Gully Boy" and the series "Inside Edge."