Shraddha Kapoor's upcoming biopic Eetha is already making noise. The film's teaser drew widespread praise for Shraddha's striking transformation into legendary Lavani artist Vithabai Narayangaonkar but it's the title that has people talking. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has questioned why a film about Vithabai doesn't carry her name and now, the late artist's own family has joined the chorus.
According to a TV9 Marathi report, the NCP's Film and Cultural Department has taken issue with the decision to call the biopic Eetha, arguing it should have been titled Vitha or Vithabai, a name that would do justice to the folk legend's towering contribution to Lavani and Tamasha.
Babasaheb Patil, Maharashtra State President of the NCP's Film and Cultural Department, said the party sees it as their responsibility to protect Vithabai's legacy, and questioned why the makers chose a title that doesn't even nod to the woman whose life the film is telling.
Eetha also marks another collaboration between Shraddha Kapoor and producer Dinesh Vijan, following their blockbuster run with the Stree films. Laxman Utekar and Vijan, meanwhile, are reuniting after the success of Chhaava.
Backed by Maddock Films, it also stars Randeep Hooda and Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub in key roles. Eetha is set to release on August 28, 2026.
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Who was Vithabai?
Vithabai Narayangaonkar wasn't just a performer, she was an institution. One of Maharashtra's most celebrated folk artists, she spent her life breathing life into Lavani and Tamasha, inspiring generations of performers along the way. Her contribution to Indian folk arts was recognised by the President of India twice, in 1957 and again in 1990.
But fame rarely came without a cost. Despite being celebrated across the state, Vithabai is believed to have spent her final years in financial difficulty. Her love for the art form, however, lived on , her daughters and sons-in-law carried the tradition forward.
The teaser opens with a group of Lavani performers on stage before an impatient crowd begins calling out for Eetha. Backstage, Shraddha Kapoor's character is seen preparing for her act, heavily pregnant. What follows is quietly devastating, she goes into labour, endures intense pain, and is warned that stepping back on stage could cost her her life. She goes anyway. Almost immediately after giving birth, she returns to perform. It closes on a voiceover that calls her a " toofan."
The demand has now turned personal
As per the same report, Vithabai Narayangaonkar's own family has voiced their unhappiness with the title. Her sons Kailash and Rajesh Narayangaonkar, and grandson Mohit Narayangaonkar, have reportedly asked the makers to reconsider.
For them, it goes beyond a name. A biopic on Vithabai, they feel, should carry her name, as a matter of respect for a woman whose work helped shape Maharashtra's Lavani and Tamasha tradition, and to ensure her legacy is remembered the way it deserves to be.
So far, neither director Laxman Utekar nor Maddock Films has responded to the controversy.
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FAQs
1. Who else stars in Eetha apart from Shraddha Kapoor?
The film also features Randeep Hooda and Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub in key roles.
2. When is Eetha releasing?
Eetha is slated to release in theatres on August 28, 2026.
