Bebo to lend voice to cartoons

By Subhash K Jha

To say Yashraj Films has set unprecedented standards of excellence, discipline and coporatization in Indian cinema would be no exaggeration.

On Tuesday, Yashraj Films and Walt Disney Stidios tied up for the first-ever collaboration between Disney and any other production company from any part of the world.

Speaking exclusively after the press conference, Yash Chopra said, "This is a kind of collaboration that has never happened before. We've tied up eith Walt Disney to make exclusive animation films. The first collaborative film to be released would be called Roadside Romeo. It would feature the voices of Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Javed Jaffry and would be released in summer 2008."

Unlike Karan Johar's proposed animation film, Yashraj-Disney's first animation film is a complete original. "It's a script written by Jugal Hansaj. And he'll direct Roadside Romeo.

It will be a completely original Indian film with music, dances, songs, romance…just like any of the other Yashraj Film so far," states Mr Chopra proudly.

"The whole Disney team was here at Yashraj on Tuesday from Los Angeles. While we'll take care of every other aspect of the animation films Walt Disney Studio will supervise us technically so that we reach international standards of excellence. Both the companies need to preserve their reputation."