Some desi connection to the Oscars

For those looking for a desi connection to the Oscars, Namit Malhotra provides one. Founder, Executive Chairman and Global CEO OF Prime Focus, Malhotra skipped a trip to Los Angeles for the Oscars since he wasn't really expecting Interstellar, to bag the VFX Oscar. Double Negative, the UK company that he bought last year, had done the VFX for the film. “Last year Gravity had won. So I never thought Interstellar would, honestly.

One time can be lucky, but twice shows a pattern of work and talent,“ said Malhotra from London. The 39-year-old who began his journey in 1997, and went public in 2006, bought companies in the US (Post Logic and Frantic Films) financed through foreign currency convertible bonds (FCCBs). In 2010, he moved Prime Focus lock, stock and barrel to LA and become the only non-American player in the Hollywood VFX business.

In 2014, he announced the combination of Reliance MediaWorks (RMW) and Prime Focus Ltd (PFL). Today, Malhotra's global revenue of Rs 6.8 billion is spread across four continents and seven time zones. “It is a vindication. We no longer carry the stigma of being an Indian company which is r inexperienced. We have shown the ability to deliver Tier I quality work, which is a huge victory and a very proud moment for us," he said.

When Malhotra bought Double Negative in 2014, the combined entity became one of the world's largest integrated VFX, 3D Conversion and Animation services company. Double Negative has been involved in movies like Inception, The Hunger Games series, Godzilla and Batman series, among many others.

“I have full faith in my dream that we [India] will be the fabric of the major motion pictures that the world makes and we will be on entertainment map of the world,“ said Malhotra, as he looks forward to Avengers: Age of Ultron, Terminator: Genysis, Mission Impossible 5, Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, Mission Impossible 5 and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, movies his company is delivering VFX for.