Shraddha Kapoor he’s gearing up for one of his big screen comebacks, and it seems his paychecks reflect that. Two years after his last appearance in ‘Stree 2’, the actor is set to make a comeback with Laxman Utekar‘s ‘Eetha’, a biopic on the legendary Tamasha artist Vithabai Narayangaonkar. According to the latest reports, Kapoor has gone up in price for the film, marking a huge jump from the packages he paid in the past, even as the film faces another controversy surrounding its title.
Shraddha Kapoor’s collection goes up to Rs 15 crore for ‘Eetha’
According to a report by Free Press Journal, Shraddha Kapoor has increased her fee to Rs. 15 crore for Eetha. Producer Dinesh Vijan, who has worked with the actor on Stree and Stree 2, says he believes the Vithabai biopic could be a game-changing project for Kapoor and that his salary for the film is justified due to its size and importance.Kapoor has been attached to the biopic since 2025 and started shooting again earlier this year, a long-term commitment to a project that has been described as one of the most challenging to date.
How Shraddha Kapoor’s ‘Eetha’ earnings compare to her previous films
Reports of Rs. 15 crore marks a huge jump from Kapoor’s recent blockbusters. For ‘Stree 2’, Kapoor is said to have been paid Rs. 5 crore, less than his counterpart Rajkummar Rao, who took Rs. 6 crore for the film. For Tu Jhoothi​​​​​​Main Makkaar, Shraddha Kapoor reportedly paid Rs 7 crore.The hike triples his ‘Stree 2’ budget and doubles his ‘Tu Jhoothi​​​​​​Main Makkaar,’ making Eetha as Kapoor’s highest-paid project to date, according to the reported figures.
‘Eetha’ contentious topic explained
Beyond the finesse, ‘Eetha’ has also found itself in the midst of headline controversies. The Nationalist Congress Party’s Film and Cultural Department (NCP Chitrapat va Sanskrutik Vibhag) has objected to the film’s title, saying that “Eetha” does not adequately respect Vithabai Narayangaonkar’s legacy. The party has questioned why the film was not titled as Vitha or Vithabai instead.The department has emphasized that Vithabai Narayangaonkar was much more than an ordinary musician, he was a firebrand of Maharashtra’s cultural traditions and Tamasha and believes that the present chapter fails to explain this. Adding to the significance of the protest, Vithabai’s sons, Kailash Narayangaonkar and Rajesh Narayangaonkar, along with her grandson Mohit Narayangaonkar, have joined the NCP department’s demand for a name change.
Anant V Joshi responds to the subject line
Actor Anant V Joshi, who stars in ‘Eetha’, responded to the controversy in an interview with Zoom. Joshi explained that the decision to avoid naming the film directly after Vithabai was made to avoid potential problems.Commenting on Narayangaonkar’s family’s desire to use a real name, Joshi said that the film only works if the family feels comfortable using a real person’s name, adding that such comfort makes the project more credible. He also said that the makers of the film always agree that the film tells its story, regardless of the theme used.
‘Eetha’ release date
Along with Shraddha Kapoor, ‘Eetha’ also stars Randeep Hooda and Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub in the lead roles. Directed by Laxman Utekar, the flick is slated to hit the theaters on August 28, making it one of the most watched releases of the year thanks to the box office and the ongoing title controversy.