Prateek Tanmay
4 min readMumbaiJul 1, 2026 08:20 PM IST
The teaser of Shraddha Kapoor’s upcoming period drama Eetha was unveiled recently and it took social media by storm with the actor appearing in a never-seen-before avatar. However, the film, inspired by the life of legendary Lavani artist Vithabai Narayangaonkar, soon landed in controversy after her family objected to its title. They questioned why Vithabai’s name was omitted from the film’s title and demanded that it be changed to give the iconic folk artist due recognition.
‘Trying to protect ourselves from any conflict’
Amid the controversy, actor Anant Joshi, best known for Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 12th Fail and who plays a pivotal role in the film, shared why director Laxman Utekar and producer Dinesh Vijan chose not to use Vithabai’s real name in the title. Speaking to Zoom, he said, “Right now, because of the times we are in, I think filmmakers like Maddock and Laxman sir, we were only trying to protect themselves from any conflict that happens if you’re going to use real names and real people. So, I think the purpose earlier was just to dodge conflicts.”
However, Joshi also said that if Vithabai’s family is only objecting to the title and not the film itself, using her real name could ultimately strengthen its credibility. “But in this case, it only does well and in favour of the movie if the family feels super comfortable giving this the name of the real person. It actually makes the movie sound more credible that the family and anybody don’t have any objection to taking a real person’s name. And outrightly, the makers have always given credit to whose story this is.”
Eetha title row
For those unaware, according to reports by TV9 Marathi, Vithabai Narayangaonkar’s family, along with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has objected to the film’s title. The NCP’s film and cultural department questioned the makers over not including Vithabai’s name. Babasaheb Patil, the Maharashtra state president of the party’s film and cultural department, said it was the party’s responsibility to preserve and honour Vithabai’s legacy, adding that the film’s title should reflect her immense contribution to Lavani and Tamasha.
Speaking to NDTV, Patil clarified that the objection is not to the film but to its title. “Vithabai Narayangaonkar was already a nationally recognised artist and a President’s Award winner. In rural Maharashtra, people lovingly called her ‘Eetha’, but now such a big film is coming with a major production house, a respected director like Laxman Utekar and Shraddha Kapoor. People across India and even the world will watch it. If her original name is used, it will be better for everyone.”
Also Read | True story of Vithabai Narayangaonkar: Tamasha legend who inspired Shraddha Kapoor’s Eetha
He further argued that using Eetha as the title could create confusion for future generations. “If someone searches for her in the future, they may end up searching ‘Eetha’ instead of Vithabai. Her original name should remain. It will make us happy, and it will also make her family happy.”
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Patil also alleged that the filmmakers neither secured the rights from Vithabai Narayangaonkar’s family nor held detailed discussions with them before beginning the project. However, Vithabai Narayangaonkar’s grandson, Mohit Narayangaonkar, who runs the Vithabai Narayangaonkar Tamasha Mandal, clarified to NDTV that the family has no objection to the film itself. “There is no objection to the film. We welcome it. Our only request is that instead of ‘Eetha’, the title should be ‘Vitha Narayangaonkar’ or ‘Vithabai Narayangaonkar’.”
As of now, neither director Laxman Utekar, Shraddha Kapoor, nor Maddock Films has responded to the demand for a title change.
