Eetha trailer: Shraddha Kapoor embodies Lavani legend Vithabai

The first full look at Eetha has landed, and it pushes Shraddha Kapoor into a space Bollywood often treats as decoration rather than drama. Maddock Films and Kathputli Creations have released the trailer for Laxman Utekar’s musical, which stars Kapoor as Eetha Bai, a performer inspired by celebrated Maharashtrian Lavani and Tamasha artist Vithabai Bhau Mang Narayangaonkar.

That distinction matters. This is not a story invented around a familiar dance number. Lavani is a folk performance form carried by song, expressive movement and rhythm, while Tamasha brings its folk-theatre energy into the mix. In Eetha, they are the story, not the interval act.

More than music, dance and applause

The trailer is alive with colour, footwork and the kind of staging that makes the art form feel immediate. But the film’s real subject is the battle behind the performance. Eetha Bai is seen facing betrayal, heartbreak and the barriers that kept women artists from the recognition they earned.

The trailer’s most pointed line is a compact mission statement: “If I die dancing, I’ll be remembered as a legend.” That promise, delivered in the trailer, tells viewers this will be a film about legacy as much as spectacle.

There is also a telling exchange about the nauvari saree. In the world of the film, it is not simply costume. It carries the pride, identity and tradition of Marathi women who have kept these forms alive for generations.

Why the role matters for Shraddha Kapoor

For Kapoor, the part is both a character shift and a homecoming. She returns to Maddock Films after Stree and Stree 2, and her quote from the film’s release makes the pull clear.

“It’s a story about a woman whose art, courage and individuality make her unforgettable.”

She said the more Laxman Utekar told her about the character, the more connected she felt to the world.

Director Laxman Utekar arrives at Eetha after the blockbuster scale of Chhaava. His description of the shift is a study in contrast: one film is a historical spectacle, this one is a musical drama about an artist who became a legacy. The film also marks one of Nana Patekar’s final screen appearances, which gives the ensemble an extra weight for longtime Hindi film fans.

Producer Dinesh Vijan has framed the project as a chance to celebrate women whose contributions to an important cultural form have not received enough recognition in mainstream Hindi cinema. Karishma Sharma of Kathputli Creations adds that the goal is a story rooted in Indian soil but with a wider emotional reach.

What to know before the release

• Star: Shraddha Kapoor as Eetha Bai.
• Director: Laxman Utekar, following Chhaava.
• Music: Ajay-Atul.
• Release date: December 4, 2026, in cinemas.
• Inspiration: Vithabai Bhau Mang Narayangaonkar, a Lavani and Tamasha icon.

For an audience that follows the stars as closely as the films, Eetha is a signal worth marking. It takes a regional performance tradition and places it at the centre of a mainstream release, with a leading actor, a commercial producer, and a director coming off a major hit. If the film balances authenticity with scale, December 4 could introduce a very different kind of heroine.

Source: Hindustan Times

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