Actor Allu Arjun’s response to the tragic death of a fan and the hospitalisation of a young boy during the Pushpa 2: The Rule premiere on December 4 has sparked widespread criticism. While Arjun announced a donation of ₹25 lakh to the victim’s family and pledged to cover medical expenses, many on social media accused him of failing to apologise for the incident.
A stampede occurred at a local theatre during the special screening, leading to the death of a woman and injuries to her son due to asphyxiation. Police confirmed a case has been filed against Arjun, his security team, and the theatre management based on a complaint by the victim’s family.
Reacting to Arjun’s video statement, one user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, “I am shocked that he expressed condolences and offered monetary help but didn’t apologise. I was waiting for an apology in the whole video. This is really not good on his part.” Another echoed similar sentiments, saying, “Bro said everything except ‘I’m sorry.’”
Criticism also poured in over the timing and tone of the video, which was uploaded 48 hours after the incident. Many users alleged it was more of a promotional effort than a heartfelt apology, with one remarking, “After 48 hours, he came up wearing a promotional hoodie of his film, with good makeup, proper lighting, professional colour grading, and background music—but no apology.”
Others pointed out a perceived contradiction in Arjun’s statement. While he claimed the team was too heartbroken to celebrate, viral videos showed them cutting a cake and bursting crackers before the video was released. “At least think before giving such a byte. Celebrating with crackers and then saying you’re heartbroken doesn’t add up,” wrote another user.
Some fans, however, defended Arjun’s actions, praising his financial support for the family. “He promised to support the victim’s family in any way he could, and that’s commendable,” one fan argued.
In the video, Arjun expressed his anguish, stating, “In the last 20 years, I’ve been to theatres for almost every film; something like this has never happened. We were very disappointed and shocked.”
The tragedy has prompted calls for stricter regulations on film premiere events. Telangana’s cinematography minister, Komatireddy Venkata Reddy, announced that permissions for benefit shows would no longer be granted in the state.