Hyderabad witnessed a heartbreaking incident on Wednesday night during the premiere of Pushpa 2: The Rule, Allu Arjun’s highly anticipated sequel to the blockbuster Pushpa: The Rise.
A stampede outside the Sandhya Theatre, RTC Crossroads, claimed the life of a 39-year-old woman and left a 12-year-old boy critically injured, reported The Times of India.
The tragedy unfolded around 10.30pm when fans gathered in massive numbers to catch a glimpse of Arjun, who made an appearance at the screening. The overwhelming crowd led to suffocation and panic, creating a stampede that injured several people.
Ms Revathi, a resident of Dilsukhnagar, had attended the event with her husband Bhaskar and their two children. According to police reports, she collapsed during the chaos and was administered CPR by bystanders and police before being rushed to the hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
Her son, who was also caught in the commotion, was transferred to a super-specialty hospital and remains in critical condition.
Officers reportedly used mild force, including a lathi (long baton) charge, to manage the situation. The main gate of the theatre collapsed amid the stampede, worsening the situation. Security was intensified immediately, and additional personnel were deployed to the scene.
The surge in the crowd was triggered by fans eager to see Arjun, who briefly addressed the audience. The actor urged people to clear the way, but the situation had already spiralled out of control.
Directed by Sukumar and featuring Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil, Pushpa 2: The Rule is one of the most awaited releases of 2024. It was scheduled to debut across more than 10,000 screens globally on Thursday in Telugu, Hindi, Kannada and Tamil.
According to online ticketing website BookMyShow, the movie has become the fastest to surpass the one million tickets sold on the platform, crossing previous records set by Kalki 2898 AD, Bahubali 2 and KGF 2.
The film, like many hits from the south in recent years that have broken new grounds in the Hindi-speaking belt, is likely to collect more than Rs60 crore ($8 million) on day one in the north.
Industry analyst Taran Adarsh’s said in his initial review that it is a “Wildfire entertainer and solid film in all respects... Another plus is the high-octane action sequences, meticulously choreographed to perfection.”
The film is creating waves not just in India but also in foreign countries. It earned a massive US$700,000 in Oceania pre-sales, making it the highest-ever opening for an Indian film in the region.
Pushpa 2: The Rule opened in Singapore yesterday.
