Ahead of the highly anticipated release of Pushpa 2: The Rule, a pre-release event was held in Hyderabad on Monday evening, featuring a star-studded lineup including Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, Sreeleela, director Sukumar, and filmmaker SS Rajamouli. However, the event took an unexpected turn when a fan breached security and jumped onto the stage during Arjun’s interaction with the audience.
A clip of the incident surfaced on Reddit, showing the fan making his way toward Arjun, despite security measures in place. As the fan reached the actor, a few security personnel quickly tackled him to the ground. In the video, Arjun is seen stepping in to stop the situation from escalating, asking security to release the fan. The actor then posed for a photo with the fan, smiling as the crowd cheered. As the clip concluded, Arjun turned to the audience, saying, “I love my audience.”
The incident sparked mixed reactions online, with many Reddit users speculating whether the moment was staged. One commenter wrote, “Totally not staged. Lol,” while another joked, “Staged drama on stage.” A few others pointed out that such incidents are not unusual at celebrity events, with one person noting, “This has been happening for years in all actor’s events. AA is no exception.” However, some found Arjun’s comment, “I love my fans,” to be a bit odd, with one user writing, “Somehow ‘I love my fans’ felt so weird.”
Before the Hyderabad event, Arjun had attended pre-release events in Mumbai, Kochi, and Patna. The Patna event, held at Gandhi Maidan for the release of Pushpa 2’s trailer, saw a chaotic situation as fans climbed barricades to get closer to the stars. The crowd grew out of control, prompting security forces to use baton charges to disperse the masses, creating a stampede-like situation.
Pushpa 2: The Rule, directed by Sukumar and produced by Mythri Movie Makers and Muttamsetty Media, is set to hit theatres on December 5. The film will see Allu Arjun reprise his role as Pushpa Raj, with Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil returning as Srivalli and Bhanwar Singh Shekawat. The first film, which centred on the power struggles surrounding red sandalwood smuggling, was a massive success, and the sequel is expected to be another hit among audiences.