MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company is foraying into the South Indian film market as it aims to deepen its localisation drive in India across the TV broadcasting, movie and consumer products spectrum.

Disney will make its first studio production in the southern language, putting out a yet-to-be named Telugu epic fantasy adventure movie for Indian audiences in January 2011.

The movie will also be dubbed in Tamil, addressing the two main markets outside Bollywood.

Disney has already tapped the Hindi animation film market, co-producing Roadside Romeo with Bollywood biggie Yash Raj Films. The media conglomerate is also readying to release the Darsheel Safary starrer, Zokkomon, this May.

For the maiden South Indian project, Disney is tapping local talent such as Siddharth, Shruti Hassan, Lakshmi Manchu and Harshita in lead roles.

The film is being produced by K Raghavendra Rao who is known for his expertise and experience in developing films for the South. It is being directed by national award winning director Prakash Rao Kovelamudi.

Says The Walt Disney Company India MD Mahesh Samat, "As we work to build a family entertainment brand in India, we plan to provide Indian audiences with an unparalleled roster of locally relevant stories and engaging characters and will continue to tap into the local creative ecosystem to develop content which resonates with Indian kids."

The movie is set in the fictitious land of Sangarashtra and explores the inseparable bond between man and the myths that remain relevant even today. The story focuses on the journey of a nine-year-old girl with special healing powers and her quest to save Sangarashtra from the tyranny of an evil Queen, played by Lakshmi Manchu.

The girl, portrayed by Hrishitha, is protected by a blind swordsman played by Siddharth who faces great adversity and helps the girl on her epic journey. Haasan plays a gypsy woman whose destiny is tied into that of the swordsman and plays his love interest.

As part of its growth strategy, Disney has invested into local production and snapped up UTV Software Communications, a company that has presence in broadcasting, gaming, TV content and movie production.