Indian actor Allu Arjun, known for his blockbuster film Pushpa, has been arrested by Hyderabad police following the tragic death of a fan during a movie premiere.
On December 4, 39-year-old Revathi and her 8-year-old son attended the premiere of Pushpa 2 at the Sandhya Theater in Hyderabad. Chaos erupted when Allu Arjun arrived at the venue, leading to a stampede as fans rushed to see him. Revathi was fatally injured and died of suffocation, while her son was hospitalized in critical condition. Several others were injured in the incident.
Revathi’s family filed a case at the Chikkadapally police station, accusing the theater management, event organizers, Allu Arjun, and his security team of negligence. Eyewitnesses claimed that the actor’s security team failed to manage the crowd effectively, leading to the tragic stampede.
Following the incident, Allu Arjun released a video expressing his grief, stating, “I still can’t believe what happened. I am deeply saddened and heartbroken.” He announced a financial aid of ₹25 lakh (about $30,000) for Revathi’s family and promised ongoing support. He added, “This is just a small way to stand by them. I will visit the family once they’ve had time to recover from their loss.”
Despite the tragedy, Pushpa 2 has been a massive success, crossing ₹1,050 crore ($130 million) worldwide at the box office. Analysts predict the film could surpass ₹1,700 crore ($210 million) in the coming weeks.