Hyderabad: Congress MP from Bhuvanagiri C Kiran Kumar Reddy has responded critically to the press meet held by film star Allu Arjun, which took place following a stampede and death of a woman at the Sandhya Theater related to his movie Pushpa 2.
Reddy expressed disappointment over the press meet, stating that he had expected Allu Arjun to deliver a “positive and constructive message to the public.”
‘Allu Arjun behaved more like a reel hero’: MP
Instead, he felt that Arjun behaved more like a “reel hero” rather than embodying the qualities of a “real hero” in addressing the developments around the incident.
Pushpa 2 stampede: Allu Arjun calls death ‘unfortunate,’ cites misunderstandings
He emphasized the need for better management and responsibility from filmmakers and actors to avoid such incidents in the future, ensuring that audiences can enjoy their cinematic experiences without fear or confusion.
Reddy further pointed out that while Allu Arjun was focused on box office collections, they remained oblivious to the turmoil outside, including an ambulance arriving amidst the chaos.
He urged Allu Arjun to be “more aware of his surroundings and the impact of his actions on public safety.”
The MP called for film stars to take their responsibilities seriously and to act in ways that do not lead to public distress.
“It is absurd of Allu Arjun to say that he was subjected to character assassination,” he remarked.
Allu Arjun’s press meet
Actor Allu Arjun on Saturday, September 21, briefed the media stating the stampede and subsequent death of 35-year-old Revathi that occurred during the stampede in Sandhya Theatre on December 2 were unfortunate and claimed there have been several misunderstandings surrounding the incident.
He was responding to accusations made by Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy and AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi who alleged that the actor continued watching the movie till the end while the stampede took place outside the theatre.
Death of the woman unfortunate: Allu Arjun
Calling the incident “unfortunate”, Allu Arjun said that no one should be blamed. Maintaining he has no ill will against any political leader or department, the actor alleged character assassination and repeated attempts to tarnish the image that he built through 20 years of hard work.
He alleged a lot of misinformation floating around as well as false allegations, miscommunication, and misquotation directed at him.
“I left the theatre as soon as the manager informed me about the overcrowding outside. I left my family—my wife and two kids—inside to watch the film until the end. I only learned about the woman’s death and her son’s hospitalisation the following morning,” he said.
He refuted Telangana CM Revanth Reddy’s allegations that no police permission was given for the event. He said that he was not approached by any police officer to leave the theatre once the crowd went out of control.
“Had I known about the incident that night, would I have left my family in the theatre?” he asked.
