Pushpa 2: The Rule has been flying high since its release on December 5, raking in an impressive ₹1700 crore at the box office. But the excitement around this Allu Arjun film has been dampened by the tragic incident that occurred on December 4 at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad. 

On December 4, some notable events took place

Tollywood actor Allu Arjun showed up at the theater for the Pushpa 2 screening, but things took a tragic turn when a stampede broke out, resulting in the death of a 35-year-old woman and her young son being rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Following this incident, Allu Arjun was arrested, and Telangana CM Revanth Reddy made some serious accusations, while the police have reportedly given conflicting statements about what happened.

The consequences that followed

The Telugu actor got arrested for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and for causing hurt, but he’s out on bail now. CM Revanth Reddy brought the matter up in the Assembly, labeling the actor as ‘inhuman’ for seemingly ignoring the woman’s death while celebrating his film. The actor responded by calling it a ‘character assassination’ and insisted that it was just an accident.

On Tuesday, the Hyderabad police called him in for questioning regarding the case. In the meantime, the producers of Pushpa 2—Naveen Yerneni and Ravi Shankar—along with director Sukumar and Allu Arjun, came together to give ₹2 crore to the victim’s family.

What are the political reasons behind the conflict?

 A lot of people are saying this whole situation is driven by politics. Tamil Nadu BJP leader Annamalai mentioned on Tuesday that Revanth Reddy is trying to outshine Allu Arjun and claimed that the Congress-led government is unfairly targeting the actor. The BJP has also pointed out that Congress is going after the star because he didn’t support them during the elections.

In South Indian cinema, stars are often treated like gods, and many have transitioned into successful political careers, such as NT Rama Rao, Jayalalithaa, and MG Ramachandran. Right now, Tollywood star Pawan Kalyan serves as the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. Since Allu Arjun is related to Pawan Kalyan, whose party Janasena partners with the BJP, there are rumors that the Telangana Chief Minister is leveraging this situation for his own political advantage.

Politicians and film industry folks have always had a cozy relationship, and during election time, political parties often try to get film stars to campaign for them. This is pretty standard in India, and many actors and politicians share a strong bond because of it. However, this might be the first time a chief minister has openly confronted a star over something so unexpected.

Political gatherings and events featuring film stars always attract crowds, and securing police permissions and security is a must for these occasions. In the Sandhya Theatre incident, there’s a clash between the accounts of Reddy’s government and Allu Arjun regarding the police's security measures. The government claims they had no prior knowledge of the actor being at the theatre, while Allu Arjun insists the police assisted him in getting there and ensured a clear path.

The Telangana government is said to be covering the child's medical costs, but contrary to some reports, Allu Arjun actually offered ₹25 lakh to the family on December 6 and later donated ₹1 crore. He also mentioned he would handle all the child's medical expenses. When questioned about why he hadn’t visited the child in the hospital, he explained to the media that he wasn’t permitted to due to the ongoing legal situation.

Recently, the Telugu star’s home was vandalized, with one suspect reportedly being a close associate of CM Revanth Reddy. However, the Telangana government has denied any connection to this incident. Additionally, a senior Congress leader has filed a case in Hyderabad against the actor over a scene in his film that allegedly disrespects a police officer in a swimming pool.

Who needs to step up and take responsibility?

What started as a tragic event meant to support the victim’s family and her young son has somehow spiraled into a political debate involving Congress, BJP, BRS, and other parties. First off, while actors do have a duty to ensure safety at public events, it’s unfair to label them as criminals just because an accident occurs. Plus, there’s still confusion about whether the police actually denied permission.

Crowds at star events are nothing new, and everyone knows that. Take the Devara pre-release event in Hyderabad last September, which was called off last minute because the security and organizers couldn’t handle the huge number of fans. In the case of Allu Arjun, the real responsibility lies with the management of Sandhya Theatre. They should have evaluated the situation better, arranged adequate security, and kept the star in the loop.

Typically, when a disaster strikes, the film industry and the state government unite to support those affected. In the Sandhya Theatre incident, Allu Arjun has emerged as a real-life hero; he went to jail, got bail, and has been urging his fans to stay calm and respectful. He’s cooperated with the police and officials without making any rash comments against the government or law enforcement.

On the flip side, some argue that the Telangana government is just trying to score political points by targeting a Tollywood star to show that ‘everyone is equal.’ Meanwhile, this whole situation seems to have only fueled interest in the audience, as the box office numbers for Pushpa 2 keep climbing.

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