Hyderabad:

Two days after a woman died and her son was critically injured at a theatre during the premier show of ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’, actor Allu Arjun said on Friday that he is ‘deeply heartbroken’ and announced an assistance of Rs 25 lakh for the family.

The actor assured the grieving family that he would meet them personally and extend every possible assistance.

Allu Arjun also promised to take care of medical expenses of the boy, whose condition remained critical.

Allu Arjun took to X to react to the tragedy that occurred at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad on the night of December 4.

“Deeply heartbroken by the tragic incident at Sandhya Theatre. My heartfelt condolences go out to the grieving family during this unimaginably difficult time. I want to assure them they are not alone in this pain and will meet the family personally. While respecting their need for space to grieve, I stand committed to extend every possible assistance to help them navigate through this challenging journey,” wrote Allu Arjun.

In a video posted in Telugu, he said the entire film team was shocked over the incident. He said as a goodwill gesture he was announcing Rs 25 lakh for the family to secure their future.

Stating that they make films so that people go to theatres and enjoy, he appealed to people to be careful.

Hyderabad Police on Thursday booked actor Allu Arjun, his security team and the management of Sandhya Theatre.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Zone) Akshansh Yadav said based on a complaint by the killed woman’s husband, the police have registered a case.

Chikkadpally Police Station registered the case under sections 105 (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 118(1) (Voluntarily causing hurt) r/w 3(5) BNS.

The DCP told mediapersons that there was no information from the theatre management or actor’s team that they would be visiting the theatre.

The theatre management also did not make any additional provisions regarding security to manage the crowd.

According to the police, one Revathi (35) and her son Sri Tej (13) felt suffocated due to large public influx and immediately the police personnel who were on duty pulled them out of the public from the lower balcony and performed CPR to her son and immediately shifted them to the nearby Durgabai Deshmukh Hospital.

The doctor of Durgabai Deshmukh Hospital informed that she was dead and son Sri Tej was advised to be shifted to another hospital for better treatment.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Telugu actor Allu Arjun will be charged for the stampede that erupted outside a Hyderabad theatre and left one woman dead on Wednesday, after he arrived without prior intimation for the premiere show of his movie “Pushpa 2: The Rule”, police said on Thursday.

Besides the actor, the management of Sandhya Theatre will also be charged for not making any “additional provisions regarding security to manage the crowd”. 

There was no immediate reaction either from Mr Arjun nor the theatre management till the time of filing this report. 

In a statement, Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand said “there was no intimation from the side of theatre management or actors team that they will be visiting the theatre…”

The top cop said there was no separate entry or exit for the actor and his team, even though the theatre management was aware of their arrival. 

A 35-year-old woman died and her nine-year-son was hospitalised due to asphyxiation as a huge crowd jostled at the film theatre to catch a glimpse of Mr Arjun, who arrived with music director Devi Sri Prasad for the screening on Wednesday evening.

Police said that as a heavy crowd rushed ahead, the theatre’s main gate collapsed, prompting the security personnel to resort to lathi charge to control the mob. Despite efforts to maintain order, the stampede turned fatal.

The woman was identified as Revathi and her son was identified as Teja. Teja is believed to be in a critical condition and is currently undergoing treatment. The family has demanded accountability from the threatre management, and sought a response from the actor on the incident. They have also demanded that Mr Arjun provide them with support. 

Police said a case has been booked under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on the basis of a complaint by the woman’s family. “Stringent action as per law will be taken against all the persons responsible for the chaotic situation inside the theatre leading to the death of a person and injury to others,” the top cop said.

Hyderabad:

A 35-year-old woman was killed and her nine-year-old son was seriously injured during the premiere of ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’ at a theatre in Hyderabad Wednesday evening, police said. The incident took place at Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre as massive crowds thronged the venue to catch a glimpse of the film’s lead actor, Allu Arjun.

Chaos erupted outside the theatre when fans surged to see the actor, who had arrived with music director Devi Sri Prasad for the screening. According to police, the theatre’s main gate collapsed under the pressure of the crowd.

The police resorted to lathi charge to control the mob. Despite efforts to maintain order, the stampede turned fatal. The injured boy was rushed to a private hospital, where he is undergoing treatment.

According to the police, thousands had gathered at the theatre not only to watch the film but also to see members of the film’s production team. Additional police reinforcements were called in to prevent further escalation.

‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’, directed by Sukumar is a sequel to the 2021 blockbuster ‘Pushpa: The Rise’ and is scheduled for release across 10,000 screens in multiple languages. Plans for a 3D version were scrapped due to delays in post-production, although screenings are set to proceed in 2D and 4DX formats.

The film stars Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna, with Fahadh Faasil reprising his role. Amid the hype, ticket prices were hiked in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, sparking petitions in courts. The Telangana High Court allowed the release to proceed despite objections.