Ritesh Sidhwani is an Indian film producer who is renowned for being the co-founder of Excel Entertainment (1999-Present) along with his childhood friend and director, Farhan Akhtar. The company has produced a string of successful films like Dil Chahta Hai (2001), Lakshya (2004), Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. (2007), Don: The Chase Begins Again (2006), Rock On!! (2008), Fukrey (2013), Dil Dhadakne Do (2015), Don 2 (2011), Rock On 2 (2016), Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011), Gully Boy (2019), etc. Additionally, his company has established itself as a major player in the OTT space with widely acclaimed web series like Mirzapur (2018-Present), Inside Edge (2017–Present), Made in Heaven (2019–Present), etc.
Born Name
Ritesh Sidhwani
Nick Name
Ritesh
Ritesh Sidhwani as seen at the wrap up party of Baar Baar Dekho in 2016 (Bollywood Hungama / Wikimedia / CC BY 3.0)
Dolly Sidhwani – Ritesh is happily married to Dolly Sidhwani and the couple is parents to 2 sons named Arav Sidhwani and Nirvaan Sidhwani.
Ritesh Sidhwani (left) and Farhan Akhtar seen while returning from IIFA in 2012 (Bollywood Hungama / Wikimedia / CC BY 3.0)
Race / Ethnicity
Asian (Indian)
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
Tattoos of both his sons’ names on his left bicep
Tattoo on his right forearm
Religion
Hinduism
Ritesh Sidhwani as seen at the premiere of Ash Chandler’s play at The Comedy Store in 2012 (Bollywood Hungama / Wikimedia / CC BY 3.0)
Ritesh Sidhwani Facts
In 1999, he launched a production company called Excel Entertainment in collaboration with his childhood friend and confidante, Farhan Akhtar. Over the years, the company’s enviable track record has made it one of India’s eminent production houses.
As of 2023, Ritesh has received 2 National Awards for producing Dil Chahta Hai (2001) and Rock On!! (2008). Moreover, Farhan Akhtar made his directorial debut with the former film and his acting debut with the latter film.
The first movie produced under Excel Entertainment was the coming-of-age film, Dil Chahta Hai (2001). The film starring Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, and Akshaye Khanna achieved phenomenal success upon its release and is touted as a cult classic among millennials, who laud the film for being a fine example of new age cinema.
Through his Excel Entertainment, Ritesh also produced Zoya Akhtar‘s Gully Boy (2019) starring Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Kalki Koechlin, etc. The film highlighted the country’s hip-hop culture and was sent as India’s official entry to the 92nd Academy Awards in the ‘Best International Feature Film’ category, although it did not make the final cut.
His Excel Entertainment also produced the web series Inside Edge, which premiered on Amazon Prime Video in 2017. The series, centered around a fictional T20 cricket franchise called Mumbai Mavericks, received an Emmy nomination at the 46th International Emmy Awards in the ‘Best Drama Series’ category in 2018. However, the coveted award was won by Spain’s popular drama series, Money Heist.
According to Ritesh, the funniest person he ever met is the screenwriter and lyricist Javed Akhtar (Farhan’s father).
Featured Image by Bollywood Hungama / Wikimedia / CC BY 3.0
