The Empress Returns: Shraddha Kapoor Lights Up Eetha
Three minutes and three seconds were all it took. With the trailer of Eetha, Shraddha Kapoor has stepped out of the shadows of horror comedy and into the blazing footlights of the Tamasha stage, in what may prove to be the performance of her career. Jubliz celebrates a transformation the whole country is talking about.
Some trailers sell a film. A rare few announce an actor. On 30 October 2026, Maddock Films released the trailer of Eetha, Laxman Utekar's biographical drama on the life of the Lavani and Tamasha legend Vithabai Bhau Mang Narayangaonkar, and within hours the internet had reached a verdict of its own: Shraddha Kapoor has arrived in an entirely new avatar.
The trailer opens with Shraddha as Vithabai commanding a packed stage, the crowd roaring as her feet strike the boards to the beat of the dholki. It moves through heartbreak, self-doubt, betrayal and defiance, and it ends with a moment that has quickly become one of the most shared clips of the day: Vithabai explaining that the Nauvari saree is not merely a garment but the proudest emblem of every Maharashtrian woman. It is the kind of scene that makes audiences sit up and say a performer has found her calling.
Then: the woman behind the legend
To appreciate the performance, one must first meet the woman Shraddha is playing. Vithabai Bhau Mang Narayangaonkar was born in Pandharpur on 1 July 1935 into a Dalit Mang family steeped in Tamasha, the boisterous Maharashtrian folk theatre that blends music, dance, satire, poetry and sharp social commentary. Her father, Bhau Bapu Mang Narayangaonkar, ran the family troupe founded by her grandfather, and she grew up mastering Lavani, Gavlan and other folk forms from childhood.
She rose to become the brightest star of her art, adored as much for her quick-witted repartee as for her dancing. Fans and later the government honoured her with the title Tamasha Samradni, the Empress of Tamasha. In 1968 she was reportedly appointed president of the Akhil Bharatiya Tamasha Parishad in Pune.
Her life is also remembered for one astonishing story that has passed into folklore. Heavily pregnant, she is said to have given birth backstage during a performance, cut the umbilical cord with a stone, and returned to the stage to finish the show. It is an image of devotion to art so extreme that it almost sounds like myth, yet it sits at the heart of her legend, and the leaked teaser earlier this year suggested the film does not shy away from it.
Fame did not bring comfort. Vithabai struggled financially in her later years, and after her death on 15 January 2002, her hospital bills were reportedly met by donors. In 2006, the Government of Maharashtra instituted the Vithabai Narayangaonkar Lifetime Achievement Award for Tamasha artists in her memory. Today, her descendants still run the troupe that bears her name, and according to Scroll they are approaching the film with cautious hope.
The actor: from Aashiqui 2 to Eetha
Shraddha Kapoor's journey to this role has been a long and fascinating one. She became a national sensation with Aashiqui 2 (2013), proved her range with Vishal Bhardwaj's Haider (2014), and built a reputation as one of Hindi cinema's most bankable leading women through Ek Villain, ABCD 2 and Chhichhore. Then came Stree (2018) and its record breaking sequel Stree 2 (2024), which made her the mysterious, unforgettable face of Maddock Films' horror comedy universe.
Eetha marks something different. For the first time, she carries a period biopic entirely on her own shoulders, in a role demanding classical folk dance, singing presence, ageing, emotional devastation and fierce dignity. It also connects deeply with her own heritage. Through her mother's Kolhapure family, Shraddha has strong Marathi roots, and critics reviewing the trailer have noted how naturally she draws on that cultural background. Telangana Today described her performance in the trailer as solid, with a commanding screen presence set to folk beats.
The commitment has been physical, too. Reports during production said Shraddha suffered a leg injury while shooting a Lavani song on the Nashik sets of Eetha, and filming was later paused while she recovered, a reminder of how demanding Lavani is as a dance form.
The team behind the triumph
Eetha is directed by Laxman Utekar, a filmmaker who began as a cinematographer and has become one of Hindi cinema's most reliable storytellers. After Marathi films such as Tapaal and Lalbaugchi Rani, he made Luka Chuppi, Mimi and Zara Hatke Zara Bachke, before directing Chhaava (2025), the Vicky Kaushal historical epic that became one of the biggest Hindi hits of the decade. Eetha reunites him with producer Dinesh Vijan, and it is presented by Maddock Films and Utekar's own Kathputli Creations, with Karishma Sharma also producing.
The screenplay, co-written with Utekar, and the dialogues are by Kshitij Patwardhan, with cinematography by Akash Agrawal and editing by Manish Pradhan. The research was painstaking: Vithabai's eldest daughter, Mangala Bansode, has said she met Utekar while he was researching her mother's life for the film, giving it an intimate thread back to the real family.
The music may be Eetha's secret weapon. It is composed by Ajay-Atul, the Marathi maestros behind Sairat, Agneepath and the dazzling Zingaat. Few composers alive understand the pulse of Maharashtrian folk music as deeply, and the trailer's crisp, pulsating score has already been singled out as a highlight.
A remarkable ensemble
Shraddha is surrounded by an exceptional cast:
- Randeep Hooda, the intense actor of Sarbjit and Highway, in a pivotal role
- Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, who describes his own part as pivotal
- Siddharth Jadhav, one of Marathi cinema's best loved stars
- Anant Joshi, Akshara Singh and Ulka Gupta
- Nana Patekar, in one of his final screen performances
The presence of Nana Patekar gives the film an added emotional weight. The legendary actor of Marathi theatre and Hindi cinema passed away on 8 October 2026 at the age of 75, after a cardiac arrest at his home in Goa, and was cremated with full state honours at his farmhouse near Pune. Eetha is among the completed films he leaves behind, to be released after his death. Zeeshan Ayyub, who was close to him, has spoken warmly of their bond and of the advice Patekar gave him when they worked together on the series Sankalp. For many viewers, watching Patekar once more on the big screen, in a story rooted in Maharashtra's own folk traditions, will be a deeply moving experience.
Now: the trailer that set social media alight
The buzz around Eetha did not begin with the trailer. In June, its teaser was screened exclusively with Cocktail 2 in cinemas, leaked online within hours, and became one of the most discussed topics of the week. Fans called it promising and goosebumps inducing as admirers celebrated her return.
The official trailer has taken that enthusiasm to another level. Comments flooded YouTube and social media within minutes of its release. Fans described her as having no competition in Bollywood today, called her the queen coming to rule the big screen, and joked that the pairing of Shraddha and Maddock always produces blockbusters. Most strikingly, a wave of viewers began calling for her to receive the National Award for the role, an extraordinary response to a trailer more than a month before release.
Maddock Films' own caption for the trailer captured the spirit perfectly, describing a storm in her eyes and a tempest in her feet, the pride of Tamasha and the pride of its people.
The road to release
Eetha's path to the screen has had its twists. It was originally slated for 28 August 2026, during Raksha Bandhan, but was moved to avoid a crowded clash with Khosla Ka Ghosla 2 and Yash's Toxic. Bollywood Hungama later reported that the new date also avoids a box office collision with an Akshay Kumar release, reportedly giving Eetha a solo window on 4 December 2026.
There has been debate, too. Maharashtra's NCP film and culture wing reportedly questioned why the biopic does not carry Vithabai's real name, a reminder of how protective Maharashtra feels about one of its cultural icons. The film's title, the affectionate short form Eetha, is clearly meant to evoke intimacy, but the makers will need to show the family and the Tamasha community that their legend has been honoured with complete respect.
Next: what to watch for on 4 December
A trailer can promise a great performance; only the film can deliver one. Three things will decide whether Eetha becomes the landmark its fans believe it will be:
- Shraddha's dancing and stagecraft. Lavani demands precise footwork, expressive abhinaya and enormous stamina. The trailer's stage sequences are electric, and audiences will want that fire sustained across the full film.
- Emotional truth. Vithabai's life moved from glory to hardship. If Shraddha can carry both the empress and the struggling elder artist with conviction, award conversations will become very real.
- Respect for the art form. Tamasha has often been looked down upon by polite society. A film that restores its dignity, as the Nauvari saree scene suggests, could do for Lavani what Sairat did for Marathi cinema's national reach.
Jubliz takeaway: On the evidence of its trailer, Eetha may be the film that redefines Shraddha Kapoor, from beloved star to formidable performer. With Laxman Utekar's sure hand, Ajay-Atul's pulsing score and a story of extraordinary courage, it has every ingredient of a December triumph. Jubliz will be in the front row.
