Disney’s Lilo & Stitch brings Ohana to Indian theatres this family day

May 14, 2025 - 3:04 PM IST

This International Family Day, Walt Disney Studios celebrates the timeless value of family with Lilo & Stitch, featuring a chaotic blue alien and a spirited young girl who seeks to teach us all about love, family, and belonging. In Hawaiian culture,e Ohana means family and not just in the biological sense. It includes a bond that extends beyond just blood relations to friends, neighbours, and chosen loved ones. This concept also mirrors the Indian concept of Parivaar, which often includes extended relatives and even close family friends. In both these cultures, family transcends a rigid structure and is more about love and never leaving anyone behind. Just like how the adorable Stitch becomes a part of Lilo’s family in this summer blockbuster film, Indian culture also embraces the idea that love is the real embodiment of the term family.

Disney’s Lilo & Stitch brings Ohana to Indian theatres this family day

“Lilo & Stitch follows a different paradigm from many Disney movies. It acknowledges classic Disney tropes but does something different. It is about a real family with human beings and one heightened, fantasy sci-fi element that causes mayhem. The story’s core is simple—two sisters dealing with the loss of their parents and the arrival of a misunderstood alien.” explained Executive Producer Ryan Halprin.

In many ways, the movie is a reflection of the changing face of Indian families in today’s age. From multigenerational households to nuclear families to foster kids, the film emphasises that a family may be imperfect, but its bond is forever unbreakable. Whether it’s celebrating festivals like Diwali and Holi or being there for each other at a time of uncertainty, Indian families are deeply enveloped in emotional closeness and immense care for each other, just like Lilo and Stitch, who navigate through their chaos with love, as a family.

Walt Disney Studios' Lilo & Stitch is directed by Dean Fleischer Camp. This live-action reimagining of Disney’s animated classic stars Maia Kealoha (Lilo), Chris Sanders (Stitch), Sydney Elizebeth Agudong (Nani), Kaipo Dudoit (David Kawena), Zach Galifianakis (Jumba), Billy Magnussen (Pleakley), Tia Carrere (Mrs. Kekoa), Courtney B. Vance (Cobra Bubbles), Amy Hill (Tūtū), Jason Scott Lee (Lūʻau Manager), and Hannah Waddingham (Grand Councilwoman). The screenplay is by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes, with Jonathan Eirich and Dan Lin producing, and executive production by Tom Peitzman, Ryan Halprin, Louie Provost, and Thomas Schumacher.

Walt Disney Studios' Lilo & Stitch—the ultimate family-friendly film—arrives in Indian theatres next week on May 23, 2025 in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.

Also Read: Disney unveils new posters for live-action Lilo and Stitch ahead of May 23 theatrical release in India