A joyous premiere of the highly anticipated movie Pushpa 2: The Rule turned tragic on Wednesday night when a stampede broke out outside Sandhya Theatre, resulting in the death of a woman and leaving her son critically injured.
The incident unfolded when Telugu superstar Allu Arjun made a surprise appearance at the premiere, which was attended by a massive crowd of fans. Chaos erupted as the crowd surged towards his vehicle in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the actor.
The victim, identified as Revathi, a resident of Dilsukhnagar, was exiting the theatre with her husband Bhaskar, their son, and their younger child when the stampede occurred around 10:30 PM. Revathi was immediately administered CPR by police officers and bystanders before being rushed to a nearby hospital, but she succumbed to her injuries. Her critically injured son was transferred to a super-speciality hospital for advanced care.
Hyderabad police have registered a case of negligence against Sandhya Theatre, stating that the theatre management and event organizers failed to take adequate precautions. According to a police officer, authorities were not informed of Allu Arjun’s arrival until two hours before the event, leaving them unprepared for the overwhelming turnout.
“There was no information about their arrival until two hours before, and hence no bandobast was organized. People in large numbers gathered to catch a glimpse of the actor while he was leaving the theatre, leading to the stampede,” the officer told The Hindu.
A video from the event shows Allu Arjun greeting fans through the sunroof of his vehicle. He was accompanied by his wife Sneha Reddy, co-star Rashmika Mandanna, and music director Devi Sri Prasad.
Revathi’s body has been sent to Gandhi Hospital for a postmortem examination. Her family, devastated by the loss, awaits updates on her son’s condition.
The incident has sparked outrage, with fans and the public demanding accountability for the lack of crowd management at the event. Allu Arjun has yet to issue a statement on the tragedy.
