Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani have launched ‘Excel Origins’, a new initiative to discover and support young Indian filmmakers under the age of 30. According to a PTI report from News Delhi today, the announcement comes as their production company Excel Entertainment completes 25 years.

The filmmakers shared the announcement on Instagram on Monday, recalling how they started Excel Entertainment 25 years ago with ‘Dil Chahta Hai’.

In their note, Akhtar and Sidhwani said they believed that new voices and different ways of telling stories could find an audience. They were both 26 when they started the company and took a risk with their first film.

Directed by Farhan Akhtar, ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ starred Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna. The film followed three college friends Akash, Sameer and Siddharth and their different personalities and journeys.

The film became a major success and earned over Rs 40 crore at the box office. With ‘Excel Origins’, Akhtar and Sidhwani aim to provide a platform for the next generation of filmmakers and help them develop and bring their stories to audiences.