Eetha First Look: Randeep Hooda Turns Anna Sawant Merchant

Biopics live and die by how convincingly an actor disappears into a real person, and Eetha is already making that case. The makers have released Randeep Hooda’s first look as Anna Sawant Merchant, husband of celebrated tamasha performer Vithabai Narayangaonkar, ahead of the film’s trailer push.

Shraddha Kapoor leads the film as Vithabai, with Hooda stepping into a pivotal role. Eetha is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on December 4, 2026.

A transformation built for the big screen

The new poster shows Hooda with a prominent moustache and a noticeably bulked-up frame. It is a clear departure from the leaner, more urban characters many fans associate with him, and it gives the period drama an immediate visual anchor.

Hooda shared the poster on Instagram with a caption that pointed fans toward the next big moment. His post carried the line “Trailer out tomorrow” and reminded audiences that Eetha will be in cinemas on December 4, 2026.

What we know so far

• The film: Eetha, a biographical drama on Vithabai Narayangaonkar.
• The leads: Shraddha Kapoor as Vithabai and Randeep Hooda as her husband, Anna Sawant Merchant.
• The director: Laxman Utekar, collaborating with Hooda for the first time.
• The release: December 4, 2026, with the teaser already drawing a positive response.

Why the first look matters

First-look drops have become quiet audience tests. They let fans react to casting and styling before a trailer commits to a bigger story, and the response here has been immediate. Social media comments praised Hooda’s physical shift, referenced his earlier work in films such as Kick and Highway, and celebrated the pairing at the centre of the film.

One fan captured the mood in a comment quoted by the publication: “The chemistry is chemistryinggg.”

The promotional event was set for Mumbai’s Plaza Cinema, giving the team a theatrical backdrop for the first look. That choice leans into the film’s premise: a story rooted in Maharashtra’s performance tradition, with Vithabai Narayangaonkar as its subject.

For Hooda, Eetha is one of two very different projects on the horizon. He recently appeared in Matchbox: The Movie, reuniting with Extraction director Sam Hargrave and sharing screen space with John Cena. The contrast between that international action world and a period biopic in Maharashtra’s cultural history shows the range Hooda is currently playing with.

With the trailer around the corner, the first look’s job is simple: plant the characters, spark the chemistry chatter, and get audiences curious about the larger story before December.

Source: The Times of India