Stampede at 'Pushpa-2' premiere in Hyderabad: Woman killed, boy injured at Sandhya Theatre

Hyderabad: Pushpa 2: The Rule movie release ended in a tragedy when a woman died and a child suffered injuries in a massive stampede at Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre on Wednesday night.

Thanks to the mismanaged crowd and the Pushpa 2 team for organizing the visit of Allu Arju and other actors to a cramped theatre.

Revati ( 39), a resident of Dilshuknagar, came along with her husband Bhaskar and two children Tej (9), and Sanvi (7) to Sandhya Theatre at RTC Roads to watch the Pushpa 2 premiere show. Owing to the chaos, Revathi fell unconscious and was shifted to Durgabhai Deshmukh Hospital. She succumbed at the hospital, while her child is under treatment.

All this happened when Allu Arjun and the other cast watched the premiere. A heavy crowd rushed ahead to have a glimpse of the actors at the theatre.

There were no arrangements by the theatre management or prior information about the arrival of the actor and other members of the film, police said.

A police official pointed out that the theatre was small, and it could not accommodate such a massive crowd.

Sandhya Theatre is located at RTC Cross Road. Roads and lanes leading to the theater are so narrow that they cannot house a crowd of this magnitude. Chaos reigned supreme at the theatre during the screening. Police resorted to a mild lathi charge to disperse the unruly crowd. A stampede ensued and people ran helter-skelter for safety.

A video that went viral shows how cops tried to resuscitate a boy who fell unconscious.

"When Allu Arjun arrived at Sandhya Theatre, the crowd grew uncontrollably. Amid the chaos, my daughter and I got separated from my wife, Revathi, and our son. While my daughter and I were outside, my wife and son were still inside, but their phone was switched off. My daughter started crying, so I dropped her off at a relative’s house and returned to look for my wife and son. By the time I got back, they were gone. Some people showed me a video where I recognized them, and I was told they had been taken to Durga Bai Deshmukh Hospital," said Bhaskar who lost his wife.

"Around 2 pm, I was informed that her body had been moved to Gandhi Hospital as she had passed away." he said.

Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2: The Rule has received a U/A certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). Allu Arjun plays the role of labourer-turned-sandalwood smuggler Pushpa Raj in the sequel to 2021’s Telugu blockbuster Pushpa: The Rise.

The ticket prices for premier shows on December 4 went as high as Rs 1,200. For regular shows, the ticket prices have been fixed at Rs 531. An amount of Rs 354 per ticket has been fixed for single screens.

The premiere shows were screened in select theatres across Telugu states.

Telangana government has approved a ticket price of Rs 800 for the premiere show at 9.30 pm on December 4. Ticket prices can rise by Rs 200 for regular shows from December 5 to 8.

The government has allowed for special premiere shows to begin at 1 am on December 5.