Telugu superstar Allu Arjun on Saturday spoke against the comments holding him responsible for the stampede that broke out at Sandhya theatre in Hyderabad during the premier of his movie, Pushpa 2: The Rule, earlier this month. He said that there was a lot of “misinformation” going around, and he was being subjected to “character assassination”.
Firstly, he apologised for being late and said that it took him time to “centre himself.” Calling the stampede an “unfortunate accident for which no one was at fault,” he addressed the family and expressed his condolences.
He added, “I am getting hourly updates about how the kid is doing. He is progressing. The only good thing is that the boy is getting better.” He continued, “My whole attempt is to produce the audience good entertainment and want people to leave with a smile.”
Arjun then added, “I am not here to blame anybody, or any political party. The main reason for the press meet is that there is a lot of miscommunication, misinformation and wrong allegations. I am feeling extremely humilated by the character assassination. I have been here for 20 years and I have earned this respect and credibility. It has been sabotaged in one day.”
He clarified, “I have put three years of my life into this film and went to see it. And that is my biggest education. It is my learning curve. This is how I learn. It is very important for me to watch my own films in the theatre so that I can learn for my upcoming films. I have seen 7 of my films there. It was no roadshow or procession, but just the public outside the theatre. I waved my hands because it is a show of respect. It is known that once the fans get a glimpse of you, they cool off and start dispersing. They did clear the way and the car moved in, and I went into the theatre.”
This seems to be directly related to Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s assembly address today, where he alleged that actor Allu Arjun attended the screening of Pushpa 2: The Rule despite the police denying permission. Reddy stated, “Before entering the theatre and while exiting, the actor stood through the sunroof of his car and waved to the crowds, leading to thousands of fans jostling to get a glimpse of him.”
Allu Arjun continued, “I was informed that it was overcrowded and asked to leave. I did so immediately. No officials told me or came to me and told me anything. It was only in the morning that I got the information that the lady died, and it was unfortunate.”
Arjun also said, “I only had the best intentions. I left my two kids behind, who are of the same age as the child who was injured. I could not visit the injured child because a case was already filed against me. I wanted to do it. That’s why I left a video message. I asked my father, producers and my director Sukumar to go check.”
“This is the time that I should be celebrating, be happy. But for these 15 days, I haven’t been able to go anywhere. Legally, I am tied, and I can’t go,” the actor shared.
Allu Arjun also claimed that misinformation that he wanted to break bones, which he vehemently refuted. He said that he might be jovial, but he would never use such “inhumane language”.
The actor also refrained from taking questions from reporters and clarified that it was because of the legal bindings against him.
At the Telangana Assembly earlier today, AIMIM MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi strongly criticised Allu Arjun for his alleged “insensitive” behaviour and “lack of responsibility” following the stampede at the film’s Hyderabad premiere. Without naming the actor directly, Owaisi claimed, “As per my information, when he was informed about the stampede and the death of a person, he said, ‘now the movie will be a hit’.”
He further remarked, “Even after the stampede incident, he (Allu Arjun) watched the film and waved to the crowd from his car while going back. He does not even bother to check on them and the family. I also go to public meetings where thousands come, but I make sure no stampede-like incidents happen.”
Chief Minister Reddy had also taken a jibe at Allu Arjun earlier, during his session at Agenda Aaj Tak 2024.
The stampede took place on December 4 outside Sandhya theatre, where the premiere of Pushpa 2: The Rule was held. People in large numbers gathered outside the theatre to catch a glimpse of Arjun, who attended the screening with his Pushpa co-star Rashmika Mandanna and Sneha Reddy. A 39-year-old woman, Revathi, died during the stampede and her son was grievously injured. Police claimed that there were no arrangements by the theatre management to handle the crowd.
Furthermore, Arjun was also arrested from his residence on December 13 in connection with the stampede incident. A lower court sent him to judicial custody for 14 days. However, the Telangana High Court granted him interim bail on the same day. Despite that, the actor had to spend a night in jail due to delays in the uploading of the bail order copies.
