India, Feb. 26 -- Part Two did not just set the box office on fire with its $714 million gross, but also wowed the critics. Its five nominations at the 2025 Oscars testify to that. Among these is the nomination in the Best Visual Effects category. Spearheading that for Villeneuve is DNEG, an Indian visual effects company that has won seven Oscars already. Ahead of the Academy Awards next week, Namit Khanna, CEO of DNEG, talks to HT about the chances of a win, the debate about CGI vs practical effects, and how the Indian VFX scene is catching up to Hollywood.

Namit calls it an honour just to be nominated but still wants to win. "It's not like the other films that didn't make it to the final five weren't still cutting edge. So it's hard to...