Indian actress Kareena Kapoor will lend her voice to the first film

Walt Disney is teaming up with a Bollywood film company to make animated movies using the voices of local stars.

It is the first time the entertainment giant has struck a deal to co-produce films in India.

The original animations, to be made in the Hindi language, will be "culturally relevant for the whole world", said Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook.

Yash Raj Films will oversee each production using "an array of local talent", added a statement from Disney.

Spoilt dog

"Animation is a new and rapidly expanding area in India, and the collaboration will bring the very best in story-telling and cutting edge technology together," said Mr Cook.

The first project, with a working title of Roadside Romeo, will be an animation featuring the voices of Bollywood stars Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor.

The film, which tells the tale of a spoilt dog abandoned on the streets of Mumbai (Bombay), is scheduled for release next year.

According to Yash Chopra of Yash Raj films, it will feature Bollywood-style songs and dancing, as well as "romance, song, dance, comedy - everything".

The company is likely to produce one feature each year, with the emphasis on Indian cultural content.