How Allu Arjun's arrest over fan death turned into a political slugfest
Ever since Pushpa 2: The Rule released in theatres, the film's lead Allu Arjun has been mired in controversy due to a fan death during the premiere.
Pushpa 2: The Rule has been soaring ever since it was released on December 5, and it has crossed a stupendous ₹1700 crore gross at the box office. However, the success of this Allu Arjun-starrer has been overshadowed by the unfortunate tragedy that took place on December 4 at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad. (Also Read: ‘Sankranthi movies, ticket hikes, benefit shows are unimportant now’: Dil Raju after meeting Telangana CM Revanth Reddy)

What happened on December 4
Tollywood star Allu Arjun visited the theatre for the Pushpa 2 screening and in the stampede that ensued, a 35-year-old woman died and her young son has been admitted as critical in hospital. What followed the tragedy has been the arrest of Allu Arjun, accusations by Telangana CM Revanth Reddy and allegedly conflicting statements from the police.
The aftermath
The Telugu star was arrested on charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder and for voluntarily causing hurt and is out on bail. But CM Revanth Reddy decided to take the issue up in the Assembly and called the actor ‘inhuman’ as he reportedly didn’t care for the woman’s death and continued to celebrate his film. The Pushpa star, in turn, spoke about this ‘character assassination’ and called the entire incident an accident.
On Tuesday, he was summoned by the Hyderabad police for questioning in the case. Meanwhile, Pushpa 2 producers Naveen Yerneni and Ravi Shankar, director Sukumar and Allu Arjun collectively handed over ₹2 crore to the victim’s family.
Political motives behind the row?
There are many who are calling this entire controversy politically motivated. Tamil Nadu BJP leader Annamalai on Tuesday stated that Revanth Reddy was ‘trying to show he’s a bigger superstar than Allu Arjun’ and that the Congress-led government was victimising the actor. In fact, the BJP had also alleged that the Congress was targeting the star as he had refused to campaign for them during the elections.
In south Indian cinema, stars are treated like demi-gods and many have gone on to become successful politicians themselves, like NT Rama Rao, Jayalalithaa, MG Ramachandran and so on. In fact, Tollywood star Pawan Kalyan is currently the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. Given that Allu Arjun is related to Pawan Kalyan, whose party Janasena is an ally of the BJP, there are reports that the Telangana CM is using this situation for his political gain in the eyes of the public.
Politicians and those in the film industry have always maintained a good relationship and come elections, political parties woo film stars to come and campaign for them. This is the norm in India and many actors and politicians enjoy a great camaraderie as a result too. But this is the first perhaps where a chief minister has openly taken on a star, especially for an incident that was completely unanticipated.
Crowds always gather at political meetings and so too at events where film stars are present. And police permissions and security are sought and mandatory for every such meeting. In the case of the Sandhya Theatre incident, Reddy’s government and Allu Arjun have two differing accounts of the security arrangements extended by the police. While the government alleges that the police had no prior information about the actor’s presence at the theatre, the Pushpa star states otherwise. Allu Arjun told media that it was the police who helped him reach the venue and cleared the way.
The Telangana government is reportedly bearing the medical expenses of the child but contrary to what is being portrayed by some, Allu Arjun did in fact offer ₹25 lakh to the family on December 6 itself (he ended up donating ₹1 crore). He even said he would take care of all the medical expenses of the child. When asked on that day why he had not visited the child in hospital, he told the media that he was not allowed to as it is an ongoing legal case.
In the last few days, the Telugu star’s home has been vandalised and one accused is allegedly a close associate of CM Revanth Reddy. However, the Telangana government denied any links to this incident. Now, a senior Congress leader has filed a case in Hyderabad against the actor over a scene in the film relating to a ‘disrespectful scene’ of a police officer in a swimming pool.
Who should take accountability?
What was an unfortunate tragedy and should have been about helping the victim’s family and her nine-year-old son has somehow turned into a political issue between Congress, BJP, BRS and other parties. Firstly, while an actor has a moral responsibility to ensure that nothing untoward happens when he is at a public event, the actor cannot be perceived as a criminal because an accident happens. Secondly, there’s no clarity on whether police permission was refused.
And there have always been large crowds where stars are expected and this is well-known. For instance, the Devara pre-release event in September in Hyderabad was cancelled at the last minute as the security and organisers could not control the massive turnout of fans at the venue. The main responsibility in the Allu Arjun instance lies with the management of Sandhya Theatre as they should have assessed the situation on the ground, ensured sufficient security and barricades, and kept the star informed accordingly.
Usually when a calamity or tragedy occurs, the film industry and the state government have always come together to help those in need. In the Sandhya Theatre incident, Allu Arjun has come off as a hero in real life too as he went to jail, got bail, and has been advising his fans to remain calm and respectful. He has co-operated with the police and officials, and not given any rash statements against the government or the police at any point.
In contrast, some state the Telangana government is just trying to gain political mileage by taking on a Tollywood star and showing people that ‘all are equal’. Meanwhile, this entire standoff has only given more impetus to the audience as the Pushpa 2 box office collections just show no sign of abating.

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