Universal Music Group acquires stake in Excel Entertainment; Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani to retain creative control

The partnership will be formally announced in a press conference where Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis will also be present.

Updated on: Jan 3, 2026, 13:50:28 IST

By Abhimanyu Mathur

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Excel Entertainment has joined hands with Hollywood giant Universal Music Group (International). The international conglomerate has acquired a minority stake in Excel, according to information received by HT. According to sources, talks between the two companies have been ongoing for months.

Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani began Excel Entertainment in 2001.

Excel to partner with Universal Music

The new partnership would help Universal strengthen its presence in the Indian film market. It also allows Excel to expand the scale of its productions, with several big ideas already in the pipeline.

Notably, the new partnership will be formally announced soon at a press conference, where Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will also be present. Both parties refer to the collaboration as being in alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to create Indian content for global audiences.

Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani retain creative control

The alliance will elevate Excel Entertainment's standing in the industry, making it one of the most valued production houses in India. Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar will continue to retain full creative control and a majority equity stake.

About Excel Entertainment and Universal

Excel Entertainment began its journey 25 years ago with Dil Chahta Hai, which also marked Farhan’s debut as a director. Since then, Excel has delivered several big hits, including the Don franchise, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Gully Boy, and the Fukrey series. Over the last decade, Excel has successfully ventured into the OTT space with popular shows like Mirzapur, Made in Heaven, and Dahaad.

Universal Music Group, abbreviated as UMG, is a multinational entertainment conglomerate headquartered in California, with its corporate offices in the Netherlands. With an operational revenue of $11 billion in 2023, it is one of the world's biggest media corporations and is considered one of the "Big Three" record labels, along with Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abhimanyu Mathur
Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.Read More

Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crickit, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Infographics & much more. Explore now!.

Get more updates from Bollywood, Taylor Swift, Hollywood, Music and Web Series along with Latest Entertainment News at Hindustan Times.