Shraddha Kapoor shines, bringing Lavani legend alive in Eetha.
Eetha celebrates Vithabai Narayangaonkar’s inspiring journey, honoring her unforgettable Lavani and Tamasha performances that touched countless hearts.
Hyderabad: Shraddha Kapoor is stepping into a role that asks her to disappear into another era and a different world — and the first glimpse, via the teaser of Eetha, suggests she has done just that. The film is set to release in theatres on August 28, 2026, over the Raksha Bandhan weekend — a slot that signals confidence from makers in both the film’s emotional pull and commercial reach.
Eetha is rooted in the folk-theatre traditions of Maharashtra. Vithabai Narayangaonkar is remembered not just for the virtuosity of her Lavani and Tamasha performances but for the grit behind them: a woman who commanded the stage in The film promises to trace those lines — her passion for performance, the obstacles female artists faced in a male-dominated society, and the sacrifices that underpinned her commitment to her art.
The teaser wastes no time establishing the atmosphere of mass adulation that surrounded Eetha. That roar of the crowd is not just spectacle; it carries the emotional weight of one woman’s bond with ordinary people who found, in her songs and dances, shared stories and release.
But the teaser’s most searing moment comes backstage. Shraddha’s Eetha is shown in incredible pain while heavily pregnant, and in a sequence both stark and intimate, she gives birth behind the stage and returns to perform moments later. That scene encapsulates the film’s central moral: art as both vocation and vulnerability, glory and burden.
Shraddha Kapoor’s transformation has already become the most-talked-about aspect of the teaser. She sheds her contemporary star persona for a muted but intense presence: traditional sarees, heavy stage makeup, earthy expressions and a physicality aligned to Lavani’s rhythmic, sensuous movements. After her commercially successful turn in Stree 2, this appears to be the kind of role that tests an actor’s craft and emotional range.
Supporting cast members bolster the project’s credibility. The music — integral to any film about Lavani and Tamasha — is helmed by Ajay-Atul, whose compositions are expected to anchor the film’s emotional core and stage scenes. Writer Kshitij Patwardhan’s script is being watched closely for how it balances spectacle with the quieter, often painful realities behind the curtain.
What makes Eetha interesting beyond star power is its cultural specificity. Lavani and Tamasha are not mere backdrops; they are living traditions with their own social codes, rhythms and histories. A sensitive biopic can introduce wider audiences to that world while interrogating the compromises and indignities performers, especially women, have long endured. The teaser suggests the film aims to do both: revel in the music and movement while not flinching from human cost.
There are risks, of course. Biopics of folk artists can sometimes veer into romanticisation, reducing complex lives to tidy narratives of triumph. Audiences will be watching to see whether Eetha honors the messy, contradictory realities of Vithabai’s life — the small victories and large losses that make such stories authentic.
The Raksha Bandhan release date is also telling. It places Eetha in a window where families flock to theatres, which could broaden the film’s reach beyond Marathi-speaking audiences. If the music and performances resonate, this could become one of those films that sparks renewed interest in regional folk arts across pan-Indian audiences.
Ultimately, the teaser’s power lies in its human detail: a crowd calling a name, a woman returning to the stage moments after giving birth, a look that says more than a line of dialogue. Shraddha Kapoor’s willingness to inhabit that vulnerability — and the film’s choice to foreground the grit beneath the glamour — may be what helps Eetha rise above the ordinary star vehicle and become a sincere tribute to a complex cultural icon.