Shraddha Kapoor’s “Eetha” has drawn objections from Vithabai Narayangaonkar’s family and the Nationalist Congress Party weeks before its August 28, 2026, theatrical release.
The Laxman Utekar-directed biographical drama is based on the life of Vithabai Narayangaonkar, a Maharashtrian Tamasha and Lavani artist.
Outlook India reported that Vithabai’s sons Kailash Narayangaonkar and Rajesh Narayangaonkar, along with grandson Mohit Narayangaonkar, urged the makers to include her name in the title.
The family said a biopic on Vithabai’s life should carry her name so future generations remember her contribution to Maharashtra’s folk arts.
The Nationalist Congress Party’s Maharashtra film and cultural department has backed the objection.
Baba Saheb Patil, the department’s president, questioned why the film does not carry Vithabai’s name if it is based on her life, Outlook India reported.
The director Laxman Utekar and Maddock Films had not responded to the objection. “Eetha” is produced by Maddock Films’ Dinesh Vijan and is scheduled for release during the Raksha Bandhan weekend.
Read: Shraddha Kapoor’s LinkedIn Account Flagged as Fake
The cast includes Randeep Hooda, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Nana Patekar and Siddharth Jadhav. Ajay-Atul composed the music.
Vithabai, born in 1935, received honours from the President of India in 1957 and 1990 for her work in Tamasha and Lavani.
