Namit Malhotra on winning Oscar for ‘Dune: Part Two’ visual effects: ‘An incredible achievement’

Mumbai: Namit Malhotra, founder of Prime Focus, CEO of DNEG, and producer of the highly anticipated film Ramayana, has won the Visual Effects Oscar at the 2025 Academy Awards.

DNEG, the renowned global visual effects company founded by Namit, secured its 7th Oscar for India and 8th overall with a win for Dune: Part Two in the category of Best Visual Effects. Namit expressed his gratitude and excitement, stating, “For our team to be honored with this year’s Oscar for Visual Effects for Dune: Part Two is an incredible achievement and another milestone in our journey. This recognition by the Academy—our eighth VFX Oscar since 2011—is another endorsement of the creative and technical leadership of our teams here at DNEG.”

He added, “My heartfelt thanks to Denis Villeneuve for his vision and leadership, and to Paul Lambert, Greig Fraser, and other key members of the filmmaking team. Special thanks also to Mary Parent and the team at Legendary, and to everyone at Warner Bros. for once again giving us the opportunity to be a part of bringing this incredible story to the big screen. And huge congratulations and thanks to the thousands of DNEG artists, technicians, and support staff around the world, who all share this honor.”

“DNEG” was honored with the Visual Effects Oscar for its work on Dune: Part Two at the 97th Academy Awards, which took place last night in Los Angeles. DNEG VFX Supervisors Stephen James and Rhys Salcombe accepted the prestigious award alongside Production VFX Supervisor Paul Lambert and Special Effects Supervisor Gerd Nefzer.

The Academy Award marks DNEG’s eighth Oscar win since 2011. Before this victory, the company had previously won the Visual Effects Oscar for its work on Dune: Part One (2022), Tenet (2021), First Man (2019), Blade Runner 2049 (2018), Ex Machina (2016), Interstellar (2015), and Inception (2011).

The Oscar win comes on the heels of DNEG’s triumph at the 2025 EE BAFTA Film Awards, where its work on “Dune: Part Two” earned the award for Special Visual Effects.

DNEG’s VFX work on Dune: Part Two was also recognized with four awards in various categories at the 23rd Annual Visual Effects Society Awards last month. Additional accolades include this year’s Critics Choice Award for Best Visual Effects as well as awards for Best Visual Effects and Best Film Visual/Special Effects at the Hollywood Creative Alliance Astra Awards and the Saturn Awards, respectively.

–IANS