Public entry barred at Naga Chaitanya, Sai Pallavi's Thandel pre-release event after Allu Arjun announced as chief guest

The pre-release event for Chandoo Mondeti’s Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi-starrer Thandel will be held in Hyderabad on Sunday evening. Allu Arjun will be the chief guest. However, unlike most such events, the event will not be open to the public. (Also Read: Naga Chaitanya talks about life after marrying Sobhita Dhulipala; if they'll star in a film together)

Thandel pre-release to be a closed-door event

Sources state that the pre-release event for Thandel was supposed to be held on Saturday, but it was postponed because Arjun wasn’t free. On Sunday, the film's team announced on X (formerly Twitter) that they had opted for a closed-door event, writing, “PLEASE NOTE: No public entry for today's #ThandelJaathara. Enjoy the ICONIC EVENT from the comfort of your homes.”

The note they posted reads, “Pushpa Raj x Thandel Raju. Unfortunately, owing to certain reasons, Iconic Thandel Jaathara is a closed door event. There is no permission for public entry to the event. Watch the event live on your screens and enjoy the event to the fullest.” While they didn’t provide further details, sources state that the producers have decided to opt out of holding a public event due to Arjun’s presence. Given his legal issues, permission will not be provided for a public event.

Arjun is currently out on bail after getting arrested in connection to the death of a woman in a stampede at the premiere of his recent film Pushpa 2: The Rule in December. The actor attended the premiere at Sandhya Theatre, and the police claimed he had not been there with proper permission. His visit left a woman dead, and a young boy hospitalised in a critical state when fans surged forward to meet him.

In September last year, the pre-release event for Devara: Part 1 also had to be cancelled due to an ‘uncontrollable crowd’ when fans broke barricades, and the cast and crew had to be escorted out. This happened after the film’s team couldn’t secure an open-air venue for the event.

About Thandel

Produced by Bunny Vasu under Geetha Arts and presented by Arjun’s father, Allu Aravind, Thandel is based on a real-life incident in which fishermen from Srikakulam accidentally drifted into Pakistani waters. The film will be released in theatres on February 7.