Vijayawada: Law is equal for all, said AP deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan on Monday in his first reaction to the stampede at Sandhya theatre in Hyderabad, which claimed the life of a woman during the premier show of ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’, and the subsequent arrest of actor Allu Arjun.
Pawan praised Telangana CM Revanth Reddy even as he blamed Allu Arjun’s team for “lack of empathy” in handling the stampede fallout. He was surprised at the film industry not showing any remorse immediately after the stampede.
A 35-year-old woman, Revathi, had died in the Dec 4 incident while her eight-year-old son was critically injured.
The Jana Sena chief said cinema is a collaborative effort and it’s unfair to blame one individual.
“Such incidents are often situational and the responsibility lies with the entire team, not just one person,” Kalyan said.
“Dealing with incidents like this require humanity. More than Revathi’s tragic death, what hurt more in this case was lack of timely action and empathy. The theatre staff should have informed Arjun about the stampede, they should have asked him to leave when the crowd became uncontrollable. It is unfair to hold him solely responsible for the incident,” he added.
He said the film industry should have come together to support Revathi’s family. Further, Pawan observed that the makers of ‘Pushpa 2’ should have reached out to the family of the deceased woman immediately without delay. A gesture like this could have averted the situation from spiralling out of control.
“There was a lack of humanity in their approach. Someone should have visited the victim’s family on behalf of Arjun and consoled them,” he said.
The actor-politician also refused to find fault with the police. “Law is equal for all. Police can’t be blamed in such incidents. They act keeping in mind the security. Theatre staff should have informed Allu Arjun in advance about the situation. When he had taken the seat, they should have informed him and escorted him out,” he said.
He stated that actors often attend premiere of their films along with fans. “Chiranjeevi used to attend theatres incognito to watch movies with fans. Many actors do it. Unfortunately, in this case, everyone only blamed Arjun,” the actor-politician added.
Acknowledging Revanth’s support to the film industry, Pawan called him “a great leader” who rose from humble beginnings. “He provided flexibility to the film industry by allowing hike in ticket price that boosted collections for movies like ‘Salaar’ and ‘Pushpa 2′. His cooperation has been instrumental in the industry’s success. He should not be blamed for the arrest of Allu Arjun. As CM, Revanth responded appropriately to the developments following the stampede. He is a tough leader and I am sure he would have done the same had the incident happened involving an actor like me also,” Pawan said.
Allu Arjun campaigned for YSRCP’s Nandyal assembly candidate Shilpa Ravichandra Reddy during the 2024 elections. Fans of Pawan Kalyan targeted the actor at the time for campaigning for YSRCP.
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