Pushpa 2 premiere: Mother and son killed in Hyderabad stampede
A tragic stampede during the premiere of Pushpa 2: The Rule at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad claimed the lives of a 39 year old woman, Revati, and her nine year old son, Tej, on Wednesday evening.
The duo, residents of Dilsukhnagar, had attended the event with Revati’s husband Bhaskar and their seven year old daughter, Sanvi.
Chaos erupted as thousands of fans surged to catch a glimpse of the film's lead actor, Allu Arjun, who arrived at the venue alongside music director Devi Sri Prasad. The immense pressure from the crowd caused the theatre's main gate to collapse, triggering a deadly stampede. Police have confirmed that both Revati and Tej lost their lives during the incident.
Efforts by the police to control the mob through a lathi charge failed to prevent the tragedy. Additional police forces were deployed to ensure the situation did not escalate further.
Directed by Sukumar, Pushpa 2: The Rule is the highly anticipated sequel to the 2021 blockbuster Pushpa: The Rise. The film, starring Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, and Fahadh Faasil, is being released across over 10,000 screens in multiple languages. While plans for a 3D version were shelved due to post-production delays, the movie is screening in 2D and 4DX formats.
The tragedy has overshadowed the hype surrounding the film, which has already faced criticism over increased ticket prices in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Legal petitions against the price hike were dismissed by the Telangana High Court, allowing the release to proceed despite the public outcry.
