Superstar Allu Arjun addressed the allegations blaming him for the stampede that occurred at the Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad during the premiere of his movie, Pushpa 2: The Rule.
On Saturday, he dismissed the claims as “misinformation” and stated that he was being subjected to “character assassination.”
Arjun began by apologizing for the delay in addressing the incident, explaining that he needed time to “center himself.” He referred to the stampede as an “unfortunate accident for which no one was at fault,” and expressed his condolences to the family affected. He shared, “I am receiving hourly updates about how the child is doing. He is making progress. The only good news is that the boy is getting better.” He emphasized, “My entire aim is to provide good entertainment to the audience and to see them leave with a smile.”
In his remarks, Arjun stated, “I am not here to blame anyone or any political party. The main reason for this press meeting is to address the significant miscommunication, misinformation, and wrongful allegations that have surfaced. I feel extremely humiliated by this character assassination. I have been in the industry for 20 years and have earned my respect and credibility, which has been sabotaged in just one day.”
He clarified, “I dedicated three years of my life to this film and chose to watch it in the theatre. It was part of my learning process. I need to view my films in the theatre to learn and improve for my upcoming projects. I have watched seven of my films there before. It was not a roadshow or procession; it was simply the public outside the theatre. I waved my hands in gratitude because it is known that once fans get a glimpse of you, they tend to calm down and disperse. They cleared the way, and my car was allowed to move in, so I went into the theatre.”
Arjun’s statements seem to be directly related to Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s address to the assembly that day, where he alleged that Allu Arjun attended the screening of *Pushpa 2: The Rule* despite the police denying permission. Reddy accused the actor of standing through the sunroof of his car and waving to the crowds while entering and leaving the theatre, which led to thousands of fans jostling for a glimpse of him.
Allu Arjun further elaborated, “I was informed that it was overcrowded, and I left immediately. No officials approached me to convey any information. I only learned in the morning that a woman had died, which is tragic.”
He added, “I had the best intentions. I left my two children behind, who are the same age as the injured child. I couldn’t visit the child in the hospital because a case had already been filed against me. I wanted to go, which is why I sent a video message. I asked my father, the producers, and my director, Sukumar, to check on the child.”
Arjun concluded, “This should be a time for celebration and happiness for me. However, for the past 15 days, I haven’t been able to go anywhere. Legally, I am restrained and cannot leave.”
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy today criticized the Tollywood film industry for lacking compassion towards the woman who died and the child who was injured in the stampede during the benefit show of “Pushpa 2.” Instead of focusing on the victims, the industry showed support for Telugu actor Allu Arjun, who was arrested in connection with the incident.
The Chief Minister emphasized that the police had not granted permission for the event and explained how the actor exacerbated the crowd management issue by waving to the audience from the sunroof of his vehicle. He also noted that Allu Arjun refused to leave the theaters despite repeated requests from the police, even after being informed about the stampede and the resulting casualties.
Speaking in the Legislative Assembly, the Chief Minister stated, “Did Allu Arjun lose his legs or his eyesight? What happened to warrant such attention? The time has come for the industry to act with greater compassion and accountability. Public safety should be prioritized over profits or film stars.”
Following his release on bail, the Telugu film industry rallied in support of Allu Arjun.
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