How Pushpa 2 film screening led to stampede in Hyderabad that killed 1 and injured a child

A movie screening of ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’ at Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre turned into chaos and tragedy for a woman and her child due to a huge crowd of fans.

The incident took place on Wednesday night when a large group of fans gathered to see actor Allu Arjun, who was attending a special screening of the movie.

The 39-year-old woman died, while her nine-year-old son suffered serious injuries. He has been admitted to a private hospital and is currently receiving treatment.

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What happened?

1. The woman, Revathi, went to the screening with her husband Bhaskar, their son, and their younger child. The stampede took place at around 10:30 pm as the family was leaving the theatre.

2. According to reports, fans eager to catch a glimpse of Allu Arjun surged towards the venue, causing chaos. The situation escalated, and visuals showed police using lathi charge to manage the uncontrollable crowd.

3. Revathi and her child were caught in the crowd and fell unconscious. While Revathi fainted, her son was rushed to a super-speciality hospital, where his condition remains critical. The woman later succumbed to her injuries and her body was sent to Gandhi Hospital for a postmortem examination, News18 reported.

4. Police said that actor Allu Arjun and music director Devi Sri Prasad arrived for the screening. “There was no information about their arrival until two hours before and hence no bandobast was organised. People in large numbers gathered to catch a glimpse of the actor while he was leaving the theatre, leading to the stampede,” a police official told The Hindu.

5. L Ramesh Kumar, Chikkapadpally ACP, told the newspaper that the theatre was overcrowded, causing people to feel suffocated. “No one helped them with CPR and the woman succumbed to asphyxiation,” he said.

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6. Eyewitnesses stated that chaos erupted after news of Allu Arjun’s arrival spread, according to News18. A large crowd gathered, leading to pandemonium as fans rushed to get closer to the star.

7. The police, who were already on site, used a mild lathi charge to try and disperse the crowd. However, the situation worsened, and Revathi and her son were trampled in the chaos.

8. Notably, the officials sealed off the area, locked the theatre gates, and called in more forces to control the crowd.

9. Allu Arjun was seen leaving the venue soon after, escorted by a strong security presence and police. He waved briefly at fans from the sunroof and urged them to clear the path for the vehicles.

10. By midnight, the road leading to the theatre was covered in colourful paper confetti. There was a large police presence around all nearby theatres to manage the crowd.

‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’ hits theatres

Directed by Sukumar, Pushpa 2: The Rule had a special premiere in select theatres across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Bengaluru on Wednesday night, ahead of its official release scheduled for Thursday.

This highly anticipated sequel to the 2021 hit Pushpa: The Rise was released on over 10,000 screens, offering 2D and 4DX formats. Initially, there were plans for a 3D version, but delays in post-production led to its cancellation.

The sequel features Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna in lead roles, with Fahadh Faasil returning as well. Anasuya Bharadwaj, Jagadeesh Prathap Bandari, and Daali Dhananjaya also star.

Due to the overwhelming demand for tickets, prices were raised in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, which led to legal disputes. A public interest litigation was filed in the Telangana High Court challenging the state government’s approval of the price hike, but the court ruled to proceed with the film’s release.

Produced by Mythri Movie Makers and Sukumar Writings, and with music composed by Devi Sri Prasad, Pushpa 2: The Rule is expected to make a huge impact at the box office this week.

With inputs from agencies