Amid Allu Arjun row, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy meets Tollywood biggies, says 'celebrities must control their fans'

Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy has reportedly assured Tollywood actors and filmmakers that his government stands with the Telugu film industry and made it clear that there will be no compromise on law and order.

Revanth Reddy held a meeting with Tollywood actors and filmmakers on Thursday amid strained ties between the ruling dispensation and the tinseltown following the arrest of Pushpa 2 actor Allu Arjun.

Revanth Reddy also said celebrities must control their fans and the industry must be responsible, news agency ANI reported citing unnamed sources.

The meeting was held at Telangana State Police Command and Control Centre at Banjara Hills in Hyderabad.

The delegation of influential people from Tollywood was led by Telangana Film Development Corporation (FDC) chairman Dil Raju. Among other attendees are actors such as Nagarjuna, Varun Tej, Sai Dharam Tej, Kalyan Ram, Shiva Balaji, Adavi Sesh, Nithin, and Venkatesh.

The meeting included directors Koratala Siva, Anil Ravipudi, K Raghavendra Rao, Prashanth Varma, Sai Rajesh, and producers Suresh Babu, KL Narayana, Damodhar, Allu Aravind, BVSN Prasad, and Chinna Babu, among others.

On December 4, when Allu Arjun attended the premiere of Pushpa 2: The Rule at Sandhya Theatre, a massive crowd gathered to catch a glimpse of the actor, and chaos ensued when he waved to fans from the sunroof of his car. This led to the tragic death of a 35-year-old woman and injuries to her eight-year-old child.

Some ruling Congress leaders have found fault with Allu Arjun's comments last week, describing the stampede incident as purely accidental and denying the allegations made by CM Revanth Reddy on the “roadshow” before the film screening.

Revanth Reddy vs Allu Arjun

Hours after Revanth Reddy slammed the actor for holding a roadshow and waving to the crowds at the theatre, without referring to anyone, the ‘Pushpa’ star refuted the allegations, saying it was not a procession or a roadshow.

The Hyderabad Police arrested Allu Arjun in connection with the death of the woman on December 13.

On the same day, the Telangana high court granted him a four-week interim bail, and he was released from prison on December 14 morning.

Following the incident, Allu Arjun was arrested and later released on bail after furnishing a ₹50,000 bond. On Tuesday, actor Allu Arjun was questioned by Hyderabad police in connection with the tragic incident during the premiere of his film Pushpa 2.

The incident has also sparked political controversy. Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy blamed Allu Arjun for the tragedy, stating in the Assembly that police had denied permission for any event at Sandhya Theatre due to safety concerns.

The actor, however, dismissed the allegations, calling them an attempt at "character assassination."

(With inputs from agencies)