Telugu film actor Allu Arjun during the premiere show of his film 'Pushpa 2', in Hyderabad.
A woman died and her son was hospitalised due to asphyxiation as crowds jostled at a film theatre in Hyderabad during the premiere show of actor Allu Arjun's Pushpa 2: The Rule, police said on Thursday.
The incident took place on Wednesday night when a large number of fans thronged the Sandhya theatre to have a glimpse of the actor. A case was registered against actor Allu Arjun, his security team and the theatre management in connection with the death of the woman, police said.
35-year-old Revathi was accompanied by her 13-year-old son Sreethej who also suffered suffocation and is being treated in a hospital where he is kept under 48-hour observation.
"She gave me life, and now she's gone," The Times of India quoted the deceased woman's husband as saying as he shared that Revathi had donated a part of her liver to him in 2023 when he was in need of a transplant.
He revealed that their children had been asking to watch Pushpa 2: The Rule. The family had decided to watch the movie on Wednesday which was when Allu Arjun was also supposed to be at the premiere in Sandhya Theatre.
When the stampede broke out, Bhaskar took his younger daughter to his in-laws house to protect her. When he gave a call to Revathi upon returning to the theatre, she told him that she was inside with their son.
That was the last time he heard his wife's voice.
Bhaskar believes that Revathi got injured while trying to protect their son.
"I remember someone showing me a video where Sritej was being carried in a stranger's arms, then being taken in a patrol car that stopped at Chikkadpally police station. He was motionless as they drove him to KIMS Hospital," Bhaskar told the publication.
He added that he did not get any updates on his wife till 2:30 am before the cops bokr the news to him and his "world crashed."
Meanwhile. “Case has been registered against Allu Arjun, his security team and the theatre management over the incident,” official sources told PTI. There were no arrangements by the theatre management or prior information about the arrival of the actor and other members of the film, according to a statement issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Zone). "The theatre management did not make any additional provisions regarding security to manage the crowd. Nor was there any separate entry or exit for the actors’ team though the theatre management had information about their arrival," it added. After Arjun came to the theatre along with his personal security, people tried to enter the cinema hall with him, the police statement said.
"His personal security team started pushing the public which further aggravated the situation as there was already a huge gathering at the theatre," it added.