Maddock Films and Kathputli Creations have released the trailer for Eetha, Laxman Utekar’s musical drama starring Shraddha Kapoor as a Lavani artist. The film will open in cinemas on December 4, 2026.
The trailer positions Eetha Bai as a performer whose ambition is tested by resistance, and whose stage craft becomes a form of courage. The announcement frames the film as a large-canvas spectacle built on music, choreography and emotion.
The follow-up to Chhaava
Utekar arrives at Eetha after Chhaava, which the release describes as a blockbuster and a mega cinematic spectacle. But the new film is a deliberate shift in register: a story about an artist rather than a battle epic.
“It is the story of an artist who became a legacy,” Utekar said in the press note.
Shraddha Kapoor said her connection to the character deepened as the director explained the world to her. Her description of the part turns on art, courage and individuality rather than romance, signalling a performance-first film.
Why Lavani matters here
Lavani, Maharashtra’s folk performance form of song, rhythm and expressive movement, has often appeared in Hindi cinema as a standalone dance sequence. Eetha attempts to make that form the central narrative and to place the women who perform it at the centre of the story.
Dinesh Vijan said the project began with the shock of an unknown story: he was drawn to Lavani’s music, rhythm, energy and its larger-than-life characters, and to the women who sustained the art form. That will likely be the film’s pitch to audiences: discovery, spectacle and legacy in one package.
For our readers, the deeper question is memory. Hindi cinema has kept Lavani visible through its spectacle, but rarely through the biographies of its performers. A mainstream release that names its protagonist after an artist, and places her struggle at the centre, works as a small corrective to that pattern.
What the December date sets up
- The trailer confirms a December 4, 2026 theatrical release.
- Maddock Films and Kathputli Creations are presenting the film.
- Utekar is using the success of Chhaava as a credibility bridge to a different genre.
The title itself signals a character study. A single name at the centre of the poster and trailer suggests the film is selling a persona as much as a plot. For an industry that often leans on ensembles and franchise familiarity, that is a notable bet on a female performance as the primary draw.
The next test is whether a folk-art story can convert cultural interest into a mainstream opening. The campaign has two strong assets: a director coming off a blockbuster and a star in a rare performance-driven role. For Hindi cinema, that makes Eetha a film to track between now and December.
Source: ANI News
Comments