This film is dedicated to the late Burny Mattinson, a Disney legend who died on February 27, 2023, having worked at Walt Disney Animation Studios for over 70 years.
Asha's friends are modeled after the Seven Dwarfs from Disney's first animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). Dahlia is Doc (clever, wears glasses); Gabo is Grumpy (cynical, hot-headed); Hal is Happy (optimistic, always smiling); Simon is Sleepy (drowsy and dull); Safi is Sneezy (large nose, highly allergic); Dario is Dopey (big ears, not that bright) and Bazeema is Bashful (quiet, introverted). Gabo even describes himself as "grumpy" at one point, the king calls Simon "sleepy", and Dario's ears flutter in the same fashion as Dopey's.
One of the more subtle nods to earlier Disney films is the fact that, in the first act, Asha aspires to be a "sorcerer's apprentice," just like Mickey in Fantasia (1940).
Asha's grandfather is celebrating his one hundredth birthday, a clear reference to the Disney studios' centennial, during which this film was released.