Allu Arjun Was ‘Unnecessarily Dragged’ In Pushpa 2 Stampede Case: Boney Kapoor
Filmmaker Boney Kapoor has come forward in support of Telugu star Allu Arjun, who is facing legal challenges linked to the tragic death of a fan during the premiere of his film Pushpa 2: The Rule. Kapoor asserts that Arjun was “unnecessarily dragged” into the controversy, emphasizing that the fan’s death resulted from the overwhelming crowd at the event, rather than any actions by the actor.
Speaking at a roundtable discussion hosted by Galatta Plus, Kapoor reflected on his personal experiences with the intense fan culture in South India. Recalling a past encounter, he shared his shock at witnessing a massive crowd outside a theatre when Tamil actor Ajith’s film was released at 1 a.m. “There were 20,000 to 25,000 people waiting, and when I left the show at 3:30 or 4 a.m., the crowd hadn’t diminished,” Kapoor said. He added that similar fan enthusiasm surrounds stars like Rajinikanth, Chiranjeevi, Jr. NTR, Ram Charan, and Mahesh Babu.
Relating this to the incident involving Allu Arjun, Kapoor noted that inflated ticket prices during the release of big films, especially for special shows on the first day, contribute to chaotic scenes at theatres. He pointed out that such factors led to the unfortunate stampede during the Pushpa 2 premiere, where Arjun was “unnecessarily” blamed for the fan’s death. According to Kapoor, it was the sheer size of the crowd that caused the tragic event.
The incident occurred on December 4, the day before Pushpa 2 was officially released. A special fan screening of the film was held at the Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad, where Arjun, accompanied by co-star Rashmika Mandanna and his wife Sneha Reddy, made an appearance. Police allege that Arjun’s presence caused the crowd to swell, creating a stampede-like situation that led to the fatality of a 35-year-old woman. Authorities also claim Arjun ignored requests to leave after being informed of the chaos. However, the actor denies these allegations.
Allu Arjun was arrested in connection with the incident last month on charges of culpable homicide, among other accusations. He was released the following day after being granted interim bail by the Telangana High Court. The case remains under investigation.
Meanwhile, Pushpa 2: The Rule, directed by Sukumar, continues to break box office records. The film, which stars Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, and Fahadh Faasil, has earned ₹1,760 crore worldwide as of January 1, making it the third-highest-grossing Indian film ever.
