'Truly ridiculous to blame Arjun for Pushpa 2 stampede': RGV
What's the story
Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has come out in defense of superstar Allu Arjun amid the controversy surrounding the stampede that took place during a special screening of Pushpa 2: The Rule in Hyderabad on December 4. The incident claimed the life of a woman in her 30s and left her son injured. Varma took to X/Twitter on Monday to share his thoughts, stating it was "truly ridiculous" to blame Arjun for the tragedy.
Defense statement
Varma questioned the decision to blame Arjun
Defending Arjun, Varma said stampedes are common when huge crowds gather to catch a glimpse of celebrities. He wrote, "It is truly ridiculous to blame @alluarjun for the unfortunate death of a woman in a stampede outside a theater, (sic)." "Celebrities by their very appeal draw huge crowds whether they are Film Stars, Rock stars and even Gods for that matter...and stampedes happen very commonly when there are huge crowds and this is not the 1st time a stampede happened."
Show ban
Varma questioned the ban on special shows
Further, Varma questioned the logic behind banning special shows after such incidents. He argued if action was to be taken, it should be against the police/theater management for granting permission for a star's appearance. "Also there were hundreds of BENEFIT SHOWS all over the state and #Alluarjun just came to one theater and so instead of putting restrictions on a star attending a theater, to ban BENEFIT SHOWS is like BANNING TRAFFIC because of an ACCIDENT, (sic)."
Twitter Post
Take a look at RGV's full post here
It
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) December 9, 2024is truly ridiculous to blame @alluarjun for the unfortunate death of a woman in a stampede outside a theatre playing #Pushpa2
Celebrities by their very appeal draw huge crowds whether they are Film Stars , Rock stars and even Gods for that matter
And stampedes happen very…
Star's response
Arjun expressed condolences and offered financial assistance
Meanwhile, Arjun recently expressed his condolences over the tragic incident and announced a financial aid of ₹25 lakh for the bereaved family. In a video message, he said, "We extend our deepest condolences to the family. We understand that no words or actions can ever compensate for the loss you are bearing." "I would like to extend financial assistance of ₹25 lakh to the family as a goodwill gesture...we will also take care of the medical expenses."
Twitter Post
Here's the video of Arjun
Deeply heartbroken by the tragic incident at Sandhya Theatre. My heartfelt condolences go out to the grieving family during this unimaginably difficult time. I want to assure them they are not alone in this pain and will meet the family personally. While respecting their need for… pic.twitter.com/g3CSQftucz
— Allu Arjun (@alluarjun) December 6, 2024
Official statement
Hyderabad Police Commissioner's statement on the incident
Earlier, Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand reportedly said there was no prior information from the theater management or Arjun's team about his visit. He also said there were no designated entry or exit points for the actor and his team, despite being informed in advance about their arrival. The stampede happened when hundreds of fans rushed to see Arjun, causing the main gate of Sandhya Theatre to collapse.