Indian actor Allu Arjun was arrested on Friday and later released on bail in connection with a stampede during a special screening of his film Pushpa 2 in the southern city of Hyderabad earlier this month.
The stampede occurred at Sandhya Theatre on 4 December, claiming the life of a woman named M Revathi and injuring her child.
Revathi, 39, had attended the screening with her husband, M Bhaskar, their son, and their seven-year-old daughter.
According to NDTV, Arjun, 41, arrived at the theatre at approximately 9:30 pm local time, entering through the main entrance and spending 15–20 minutes outside. News of his presence quickly spread, drawing hundreds of fans to the scene. The surge caused the gates to collapse, and attempts by his security team to control the crowd reportedly worsened the situation.
Police filed a case against Arjun, his security team, and the theatre management, citing a lack of crowd control measures. Charges included culpable homicide not amounting to murder and voluntarily causing hurt, Akshansh Yadav, Deputy Police Commissioner, told The Indian Express.
On 11 December, the Telugu actor filed a plea with the Telangana High Court requesting that the case be quashed. However, he was arrested on Friday before his petition could be heard.
Following Revathi’s death, the film’s producers, Mythri Movie Makers, extended their condolences and pledged support to the family.
“We are extremely heartbroken by the tragic incident during last night’s screening,” they said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and the young child undergoing medical treatment.
“We are committed to standing by them and extending all possible support during this difficult time. With deep sorrow.”
Arjun also expressed his grief over Revathi’s death, offering Rs 2,500,000 (£23,300) to her family and promising to cover the medical expenses for her injured son.
“A very unfortunate incident took place at Sandhya cinema. We are extremely sorry for that,” Arjun said during a success party for the film on 7 December.
“When I heard about it on December 5, I was in shock. It took me hours to process it and respond to the incident. I couldn’t process it psychologically. It took me around 10 hours. We all blanked out when we heard the news. Sukumar got extremely emotional.” Sukumar is the director of Pushpa 2.
Reports suggest that Arjun complied with his arrest on Friday morning but expressed discomfort about police entering his bedroom without notice. He reportedly did not have the opportunity to change or finish his breakfast before being taken into custody.
Arjun’s father, producer Allu Aravind, accompanied him to the local police station. After giving his statement, the actor was taken to Osmania Hospital for a medical check-up and was scheduled to be presented in court later.
A recipient of numerous accolades, including the prestigious National Film Award, Arjun has appeared in nearly 30 films, according to the Internet Movie Database. His notable works include Arya (2004), Desamuduru (2007), Arya 2 (2009), Pushpa: The Rise (2021), and its sequel Pushpa 2: The Rule (2024).
