Excel Entertainment’s Ritesh Sidhwani Talks ‘Superboys of Malegaon,’ Future Slate and Importance of ‘Emotional Connect to the Character and the Story’

Indian producer, Excel Entertainment co-founder Ritesh Sidhwani, is preparing for the global rollout of “Superboys of Malegaon,” which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and screened at the BFI London Film Festival.

The film is an Amazon MGM Studios, Excel Entertainment and Tiger Baby production. Directed by Reema Kagti, it tells the story of a group of friends in Malegaon, India, who create parody films with limited resources. Sidhwani greenlit the project over 15 years ago after hearing about the real-life inspiration behind the story.

“It’s basically gives you that kind of hope, that, if you can dream of something and you have a goal in life, and you just keep pursuing it, and you can achieve it,” Sidhwani told Variety.

Following its festival run, “Superboys of Malegaon” is set for a theatrical release in India and international markets, including non-diaspora territories, before streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Excel was founded by Sidhwani and filmmaker, musician and actor Farhan Akhtar and launched with “Dil Chahta Hai,” directed by the latter, in 2001. Excel’s upcoming slate includes action-drama “Agni,” directed by Rahul Dholakia, premiering on Prime Video in December; war film “120 Bahadur,” starring Akhtar and directed by Razneesh Ghai, which is currently filming; and the latest instalment of the “Don” franchise, starring Ranveer Singh, which Akhtar will direct next year. The company is also developing series and features that are in various stages of production.

Discussing Excel’s commissioning philosophy, Sidhwani said, “In our case, it’s very clear what we look for. I need to connect with the character on some emotional level. So whether it’s joy, sadness, happiness, whether it’s a superhero, anything, I just need to connect. And if I feel there is a connect, then that’s a story you want to be a part of and go out and excite millions of other people with your voice attached to it. For us, it needs to be about the basic connect of having some emotional connect to the character and the story.”

Sidhwani noted the unpredictability of the Indian theatrical market, citing recent box office successes, including “Stree 2,” that have broken records. He attributes this to audience desire for communal viewing experiences and limited indoor entertainment options in India.

Looking ahead, Excel Entertainment aims to continue producing content across various platforms, differentiating between theatrical and streaming releases. Sidhwani also revealed plans to collaborate with directors from South Indian film industries, with a project currently in development.