Chennai, August 10, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
As Dil Chahta Hai completed 25 years on Monday, director Farhan Akhtar and producer Ritesh Sidhwani announced a new initiative aimed at discovering and supporting the next generation of filmmakers.
The duo, who launched Excel Entertainment 25 years ago and went on to make the cult classic, unveiled EXCEL ORIGINS, an initiative designed to identify emerging filmmakers with original ideas and support their entry into the industry.
Farhan marked the anniversary on X by expressing gratitude to audiences for keeping the film relevant decades after its release.
“Can’t believe it’s been 25 years.. Akash, Sameer and Sid don’t look like they’ve aged a day! Heart filled with gratitude to you, the audience, for keeping it alive and still relevant. Big hug,” he wrote.
In a joint statement, Farhan and Sidhwani reflected on the beginnings of Excel Entertainment and the thinking behind Dil Chahta Hai.
“Twenty five years ago, we started Excel Entertainment and began work on a film called ‘Dil Chahta Hai’. We had a simple belief – New voices and a different way of telling stories, will find an audience,” they said.
The filmmakers said they were 26 when they embarked on the journey and did not have all the answers, but had an idea they believed in, along with the willingness to take risks and see it through.
Looking ahead, they said they wanted the next 25 years of Excel’s journey to involve empowering young filmmakers with bold ideas and different approaches to storytelling.
Announcing EXCEL ORIGINS, they said the initiative would focus on “New voices. Original stories. Breakthrough genres”, adding that investing in the future of cinema was the best way to celebrate the production house’s past.
The anniversary also prompted cinematographer Ravi K. Chandran to recall his association with the film. Chandran, who worked as the director of photography on Dil Chahta Hai, thanked Farhan for trusting him with the project and Sidhwani and Excel Entertainment for giving him the opportunity.
“25 years of Dil Chahta Hai. A defining turning point in my journey as a cinematographer.. a cult classic,” Chandran wrote on X, describing the film as a project that remains “very close to my heart”.
Dil Chahta Hai, starring Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna, became a defining film for a generation and is widely regarded as a landmark in contemporary Hindi cinema.
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