Telugu superstar Allu Arjun found himself at the center of controversy when he reportedly refused to leave the theater during the screening of ‘Pushpa-2’ on December 4 despite a stampede, according to police officials One woman died. Speaking at an end-of-year press conference on Sunday, city police chief Anand released a video compiled by police showing the chaos that unfolded during the tragic incident. The video, pieced together from news footage and mobile phone recordings, shows Arjun remaining in the theater until midnight despite being informed of the situation.
While Anand did not comment directly on the video, he said “the media can draw their own conclusions.” A police official detailed the series of events leading up to the stampede. According to him, the police informed Allu Arjun’s manager about the woman’s death and urged the team to remove the actor from the theater to prevent further crowding. However, officials were reportedly denied direct access to Arjun.
“We asked the cast team to convey the seriousness of the situation, but there was no immediate response,” the official said.
When police finally managed to contact Arjun directly, they informed him of the tragedy and offered to arrange a safe exit. However, the actor allegedly insisted on completing the screening before leaving, the official added.
The situation escalated further when bodyguards hired by Arjun reportedly clashed with fans and police during the stampede. Commissioner Anand warned that strict legal action would be taken if the allegations of misconduct by guards were true.
“VIPs will be held responsible for the actions of their hired bodyguards,” Anand said firmly.
When asked about Allu Arjun’s interim bail, Commissioner Anand refused to comment, saying only that the matter was under investigation. There was also speculation that the family of the deceased had been threatened, but Anand did not respond to these claims.
Meanwhile, state Cinematography Minister Komatreddy Venkat Reddy criticized Arjun for his slow response to the incident and demanded an apology from Arjun. “This government has been supporting the film industry by approving welfare shows and increasing ticket prices. Actors should respect the government and the chief minister,” Reddy said.
Union Home Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar, on the other hand, defended Arjun and accused Chief Minister Ravensh Reddy of making defamatory remarks in the Assembly. “Such comments are damaging to the Telugu film industry and amount to defamation of character,” Kumar claimed in a statement.
Kumar later visited the family of Revati, the woman who died in the stampede, and expressed his condolences. He assured support for Revathi’s husband and prayed for the speedy recovery of their injured son. “The safety and security of citizens should always come first. Everyone, including celebrities, must behave accordingly,” he said.