Akshaye Widhani is the Chief Executive Officer of Yash Raj Films (YRF), where he leads one of India’s most influential studios into its next phase of growth, scale, and global expansion. As the current CEO in the company’s over 50-year history, he assumes the role with a deep understanding of the business and a clear view of where it needs to go.

His journey with YRF spans nearly two decades. He joined the company in 2005 as a Studio Manager and has since grown through the ranks, building a reputation as a sharp operator with a strong instinct for both business and content. Over time, he has worked across functions, gaining a comprehensive understanding of how the studio runs end to end.

Before becoming the CEO, Akshaye served as Senior Vice President – Finance, Business Affairs & YRF Studios. In this role, he drove business growth, strengthened commercial strategy, and brought operational rigor across verticals. His work consistently focused on scaling revenue, optimising value, and reinforcing YRF’s brand equity.

Across his tenure, Akshaye has led a range of initiatives that have expanded YRF’s capabilities and reach. He drove YRF Entertainment, one of India’s earliest studio-led efforts to produce international film content, positioning the company within a broader global filmmaking landscape. The division has since extended into digital and OTT content, developing a slate of marquee projects for evolving audiences.

He also led the creation of yFX Studios, the company’s in-house visual effects division, which now delivers high-quality VFX work across some of the industry’s biggest Hindi film productions.

He has also stepped into being a film producer, extending his role beyond business leadership within the company. His first, Saiyaara, now a major commercial success, reflects his ability to operate seamlessly across creative instinct and commercial scale. Saiyaara rewrote box office history books in Indian cinema and brought back the romance genre. Akshaye is currently producing multiple movies with the banner as he aims to be a creative catalyst, bringing in the best minds from the Indian film industry.

During the pandemic, Akshaye spearheaded the Yash Chopra Foundation initiative, supporting daily wage earners and their families within the Hindi film industry. The programme provided health insurance, school fee support, ration supplies, annual health check-ups, and vaccinations, reaching over 4,000 members.

As the CEO, he brings a combination of long-term perspective and executional clarity. He oversees all company verticals, with a continued focus on building scale, backing ambitious storytelling, and strengthening YRF’s position as a leading force in global entertainment.

Akshaye is an alumnus of the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, USA with a dual major in Finance and Entrepreneurship.