Ritesh Sidhwani

Ritesh Sidhwani (born 1973) is one of the principal driving force and co-founder of Excel Entertainment. His first film, Dil Chahta Hai, achieved cult status for pioneering a new genre in Indian cinema and won him a National Award in 2001. His contribution to the world of cinema is two-fold; on one hand, his productions introduced global filmmaking 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 filmmaking. 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 recent blockbusters, Raees, Dil Dhadakne Do, Talaash, Don 2 and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Ritesh has taken his passion for innovation a notch higher, by setting up an exclusive division in Excel to create original content for various digital platforms under Excel Media, which can transcend geographical boundaries and reach larger audiences.

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. However, 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.

Early life

Ritesh Sidhwani was born in a Sindhi family in Mumbai, where he received his education. His father is Chandan Tootaram Sidhwani.

Career

He started his career in his family's business, Marlex Appliances and started his film production company, Excel Entertainment, with his close friend, Farhan Akhtar, their first film, Dil Chahta Hai was released in 2001.

Personal life

He has 2 siblings Sandeep Sidhwani and Nisha Sidhwani, Sandeep owns an Event Management firm and Nisha was the owner of an IT company SEEinfobiz. Ritesh is younger amongst them. He is married to Dolly Sidhwani, and the couple have two sons ^[1]

Filmography

Awards

References

External links

• Ritesh Sidhwani on IMDb
• Ritesh Sidhwani profile at Excel Entertainment