Indian cinema is preparing to bring to the big screen one of the most incredible, intense, and artistically powerful stories from local folklore. Shraddha Kapoor will be the star of a new biopic provisionally titled Eetha, dedicated to the life of Vithabai Narayangaonkar, a true legend of Lavani dance (a traditional dance form from the state of Maharashtra that combines driving rhythms and theatrical storytelling).
But who was this iconic figure, and why does her story promise to shake the film audience? Let’s discover together the details of a life lived beyond all limits for the love of art.
Art in the blood and the revolution of Lavani
Born in 1935 into a family of itinerant artists, Vithabai Narayangaonkar breathed music and dance from an early age. The Lavani, historically, is a complex performative genre: requires not only extraordinary physical coordination and an uncommon sense of rhythm, but also strong expressiveness to convey stories of social, political, and romantic significance.
Vithabai did not limit herself to performing this dance; she literally revolutionized it, bringing the family troupe to perform in front of vast audiences and even receiving the prestigious recognition from the President of India for her contribution to the performing arts.
The legendary anecdote of giving birth on stage
The reason why the figure of Vithabai has remained etched in popular myth – and will undoubtedly be the dramatic centerpiece of the film with Shraddha Kapoor – is linked to an almost surreal event that occurred during one of her shows.
While she was on stage for one of her usual, energetic performances, Vithabai (then nine months pregnant) suddenly went into labor. Instead of interrupting the show and abandoning the audience, the dancer chose to continue dancing thru the contractions. Shortly after, she retreated backstage for the strictly necessary time to give birth to her child, cutting the umbilical cord herself with a stone found on the spot.
The even more incredible detail? Right after giving birth, she reattached her sound anklets (ghungroo) and returned to the stage to complete the performance, leaving the audience and her own troupe in a state of shock and total admiration.
What to Expect from the Film ‘Eetha’
The biopic promises to be a monumental acting challenge for Shraddha Kapoor, who will have to face not only a grueling physical preparation to master the steps of the Lavani, but also a significant dramatic load. Produced by major figures in Indian cinema, the project aims to explore the contrast between a woman’s vulnerability in a strongly patriarchal era and her unwavering strength on stage.
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