Joshi has given fans of Shraddha Kapoor’s Eetha an answer to what they’ve been wondering. He says the team left the full name of the Tamasha and Lavani icon off the title to avoid any kind of row. It’s the kind of explanation people have been looking for as the online chatter has picked up.
Why the title Eetha has everyone talking
You could tell from the teaser for this period piece that social media was going to have a field day. But with the praise came a hard question: where is Vithabai? Since the story is hers, her kin and the NCP are making it known they want the name on the marquee.
Babasaheb Patil of the party will have it that the title ought to be a nod to her legacy, pointing out she was a President’s Award recipient. His concern is that down the line, someone might type in ‘Eetha’ and not come up with Vithabai Narayangaonkar. He also implies the makers didn’t have the proper conversations with the family about rights.
Anant Joshi on the matter
It was a move to protect the project, not to be dismissive, Joshi says. When you put real names and people in a film, you open yourself up to conflict; he says the filmmakers were just trying to head that off. In a climate as it is, you don’t want to make waves if you can help it.
Then again, if the family is on board, he sees no reason not to use the name. With their blessing, it adds to the film’s credibility. He makes it clear they have always made sure to give credit to the one the story is built around.
Where the family and the party stand
Mohit Narayangaonkar, Vithabai’s grandson, is fine with the film but has a simple ask: let’s change the title. He has no issue with the movie, but would like to see it called ‘Vitha Narayangaonkar’ or ‘Vithabai Narayangaonkar’.
Patil is of like mind, only he puts it in the context of a duty to culture. A film of this calibre, with Laxman Utekar at the helm and Shraddha in front of the camera, is going to define how the world remembers Vithabai. For him, the name is part of the legacy.
So here is the lay of the land:
– Family: we have no problem with the film
– What they want: put ‘Vitha’ or ‘Vithabai Narayangaonkar’ in the title
– NCP: it should be a reflection of who she was
– Makers: we steered clear of using real names for a reason
– The public: wants to know what’s what
How it plays out for the film
It’s more than just looks. Joshi figures that if you get the family’s okay to put Vithabai’s name on it, it only makes the film more of what it is. If you’re set on paying tribute to a pioneer, then making the title fit is the way to go.
Laxman Utekar, Maddock Films and Shraddha have yet to say much on the record about changing the title. As for those of you with plans for opening night, Eetha is in theatres on the 28th of August.
The part that got Anant Joshi interested
Put the noise aside and Joshi is excited for his role. It’s key to the way Eetha’s story unfolds and has a turn to it he hasn’t done. He’s usually the boy-next-door, so he gives Utekar credit for seeing something else in him.
And that is the point. You get the sense this is a film not in the habit of being too safe, be it in its cast or in how it handles a figure of Vithabai’s stature. Should the title be put to rest the way the family would have it, the film will be as good as its word: unapologetic and true to form.
For the rest of us, it’s straightforward. We want to be wowed and for the homage to be genuine. With Vithabai Narayangaonkar’s name to back it up, Eetha can be both.
