Nala (The Lion King) age difference between Nala and Scar. Nala means "gift" in Swahili. The character has a mother, whose name is never mentioned in the film; however, she is credited as Sarafina during the film's end credits. Candice Russel of the "Sun-Sentinel" believes that Nala contributes to the film's love story – "an indispensable factor in Disney cartoon features" – in addition to convincing Simba to return to Pride Rock. It has been observed that, unlike Disney's three previous animated efforts ("The Little Mermaid" (1989), "Beauty and the Beast" (1991) and "Aladdin" (1992), the romantic relationship between Nala and Simba is not
The Lion King (franchise) Pictures. "The Lion King" is the 32nd Disney animated feature film and belongs to an era known as the Disney Renaissance. The plot of the film is heavily influenced by William Shakespeare's play "Hamlet", and is believed to have been inspired by Osamu Tezuka's 1960s Japanese anime series "Kimba the White Lion". "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride" was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on VHS in the United States on October 27, 1998. It was directed by Darrell Rooney and co-directed by Rob LaDuca. It was first released on DVD as a limited issue on November 23,