Mumbai: The much-awaited premiere of Allu Arjun starrer Pushpa 2: The Rule turned tragic when a 35-year-old woman lost her life in a stampede-like situation at Sandhya 70mm theater in Hyderabad. The incident came to light as frenzied fans flocked to catch a glimpse of the star and celebrate the release of the film.
incident details
The victim has been identified as Revanti, who had come to the premiere with her husband Bhaskar (42) and their two children. The family had booked their tickets in advance and reached the theater around 9:30 pm. A police officer revealed that the chaos escalated when Allu Arjun and the film crew arrived at the theatre, causing the crowd to go out of control.
“What increased the chaos was the hero coming to Sandhya 70mm with the film crew to watch the show,” the officer said. This led to a stampede-like situation as fans started moving forward to catch a glimpse of the actor.
Revanthi and her young son, who were near the entrance, were caught in the chaos. “While Bhaskar and his daughter managed to escape with minor injuries, Revanti and her son were crushed to death by the mob,” police said.
The police had to resort to lathicharge to control the crowd. Revanti and her son were immediately taken to Durgabai Deshmukh Hospital after responders administered CPR on the spot. Sadly, Revanti was declared dead on arrival, while her son’s condition remains critical and has been shifted to a corporate hospital in Banjara Hills for advanced care.
Police said, “We have shifted Revathi’s body to Gandhi Hospital for post-mortem. A case has been registered and investigation is underway to understand the reason and mismanagement that led to the tragedy.”
Due to Allu Arjun’s huge fan following and the excitement around Pushpa 2, the premiere attracted huge crowds. However, the lack of adequate crowd control measures has raised questions over safety protocols at such high-profile events.
This heartbreaking incident is a sobering reminder of the need for better crowd management and safety precautions at public events, especially those involving high-profile stars and massive fan following.
