Inspired by Pushpa 2 scene, theatre staff bites off man's ear in MP: Report

The incident occurred at Kajal Talkies in Gwalior's Phalka Bazar area on Tuesday night. The victim blamed the “negative influence” of the media.

A theatre canteen staff chewed off another man's ear during a physical altercation amid the screening of Telugu actor Allu Arjun's blockbuster movie “Pushpa 2” in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior, the Free Press Journal reported.

Pushpa 2 The Rule: Allu Arjun plays a red sandalwood smuggler called Pushpa Raj in the film.

The incident occurred at Kajal Talkies in Gwalior's Phalka Bazar area on Tuesday night. During intermission, the victim Shabbir Khan, a resident of Guda Gudi Naka, and canteen staff members Raju, Chandan and MA Khan, entered into an argument over payment for snacks and other refreshments.

The argument escalated into an all-out fight, during which Khan's ear was bitten off by one of the canteen staff members, the report said. The victim was left heavily bleeding and rushed to a nearby hospital. Khan underwent a minor surgery with eight stiches on his ear.

Khan later filed a complaint against the accused at Inderganj police station. Police registered his statement and also took cognisance of the medical report. A case was registered under IPC Sections 294 (obscene acts), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of a common intention).

The crime drew comparisons to the final stunt sequence in the movie, where Allu Arjun, with hands and legs tied, manages to fight by biting his enemies.

The victim later said the “negative influence” of the media is inspiring normal people to act like gangsters. “The impact of such movies on people is dangerous. They think they can imitate these acts in real life,” the FPJ quoted him as saying. Police promised strict action to deter such brutal acts in the future.

Reports suggested that the Telugu action film has become the fastest Indian film to collect ₹1,000 crore worldwide.