The
much-anticipated premiere of Pushpa 2 at Sandhya Theatre, Hyderabad, on
December 4 took a tragic turn when a stampede-like situation claimed the life
of a 39-year-old woman and left her 9-year-old son critically injured. Fans had
gathered in massive numbers to catch a glimpse of Allu Arjun, whose unexpected
appearance caused chaos outside the venue.
Revathi, the
victim, had attended the premiere with her husband Bhaskar and their two
children, Sri Tej (9) and Sanvika (7). The family, residents of Dilsukhnagar,
were not frequent visitors to Sandhya Theatre at RTC Cross Roads.
The chaos
began when Allu Arjun arrived at the theatre around 10:30 PM under tight
security and police protection. The crowd surged forward to catch a glimpse of
the star, leading to a stampede. In the commotion, Revathi and her son fell
unconscious.
The two were
rushed to Durga Bhai Deshmukh Hospital in Vidyanagar, where Revathi was
declared dead upon arrival. Sri Tej, in critical condition, was later
transferred to KIMS Hospital in Begumpet for advanced treatment Revathi’s body
was taken to Gandhi Mortuary.
After the
screening, Allu Arjun left the venue under heavy security. He briefly waved to
fans from his car sunroof and urged them to clear the way, but his appeal did
little to calm the massive crowd, which overwhelmed the police.
This tragic
incident has overshadowed the grand premiere of Pushpa 2 and raised serious
concerns about crowd management at high-profile events. Authorities may need to
reassess security protocols for such gatherings in the future.
Pushpa 2:
The Rule, the sequel to the 2021 blockbuster Pushpa: The Rise, is set to
release on 10,000 screens worldwide in multiple languages. Initially planned
for a 3D release, production delays led the filmmakers to opt for 2D and 4DX
formats instead.
The movie
stars Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna in lead roles, with Fahadh Faasil
reprising his role. Despite excitement for the film, ticket price hikes in
Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have sparked legal challenges. The Telangana High
Court has granted approval for the release to go ahead as planned.
