Pushpa-2 screening: Allu Arjun denies charges levelled against him, calls incident ‘unfortunate’
Allu Arjun denied allegations regarding a woman's death in a theatre stampede, calling it an unfortunate accident and an attempt at character assassination
Actor Allu Arjun on Saturday denied the allegations levelled against him during a discussion in the state assembly over the death of a woman, who was killed during a stampede-like situation at Sandhya Theatre on December 4, and said that it was nothing but demeaning and an attempt at his character assassination.
Speaking to reporters at his residence, Arjun expressed deep sorrow over the incident and said it was purely an “unfortunate accident.” He added, “No one is at fault here. Despite everyone’s good intentions, an unexpected tragedy occurred.”
After Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy accused him of going to the theatre without obtaining police permission and organising a roadshow while heading to the theatre, he denied the charges. “I strictly followed the police instructions and did not organise any procession. My car came to a halt a few yards before the theatre due to the crowd and I had to step out of the car to wave at the crowds only to ease the situation,” he said.
Arjun said that he was unaware of the tragedy until the next day, as he had watched the film with his family. “When I wanted to visit the hospital, my team advised me not to, considering the ongoing investigation,” he said.
As AIMIM leader Akbarudddin Owaisi alleged that Arjun did not express any regrets when he was told that a woman died in the stampede, but said the film will now be a big hit. Without naming the MLA, the actor said it was a false allegation and he was not an inhuman person to utter such words.
He also refuted the charge that the police asked him to leave the place. “I don’t remember who spoke to me in that darkness, but I think some theatre people told me that the crowd was uncontrollable and it would be better I leave the theatre. And I had to oblige,” he said.
On the allegation that he was insensitive towards the bereaved family, the actor said that he had considered sending his father or director Sukumar to meet the victim’s family, but logistical and legal constraints prevented it. “There’s an attempt to undermine my character, and these accusations deeply hurt me,” he said.
Arjun emphasised that he had plans to support the affected family financially and medically if needed, including physiotherapy assistance. “I make films so you can come to theatres and enjoy them. It pains me to see such an unfortunate incident overshadow our hard work,” he said.
