Indian computer graphics company PentaMedia and Silicon Valley-based 3D animation outfit 3Dmax Media have unveiled details of their joint venture which plans to bring late Indian director and film star Raj Kapoor to life using digital animation.

The new company will be a 50-50 joint venture between PentaMedia and 3Dmax Media, based in India and the US. The venture's first project will be a feature length movie in which Kapoor and late Tamil star MG Ramachandran will be recreated using

digital animation and photo-realistic 3D graphics. The film, which is currently in pre-production, will have both Tamil and Hindi versions for theatrical distribution and an English-language version to be released through the Internet.

PentaMedia chairman and CEO, V Chandrasekaran, told Screen International: "We've come a long way in technology from 2D to 3D. The time has now arrived to create a "real" movie with virtual artists using digital animation technologies, something that has not been possible with traditional technology."

PentaMedia also recently created a 50-50 joint venture with US digital effects powerhouse Digital Domain to develop feature-length special effects-driven pictures for the international market (Screendaily, March 16).