Rashmika Mandanna, Nani, Other Celebs React to Allu Arjun's Arrest in Pushpa 2 Stampede Case

A slew of actors expressed their opinions after Allu Arjun was arrested in connection with the Sandhya stampede incident.

Hyderabad:The arrest of Allu Arjun concerning the tragic stampede during the premiere of Pushpa 2: The Rule has sparked a range of reactions from fellow celebrities. The incident, which occurred at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad on December 4, resulted in the death of a woman and left her son critically injured. As Allu Arjun's arrest became a topic of intense media coverage, several prominent figures from the film industry across languages have shared their views, ranging from support to criticism of the handling of the case.

Allu Arjun's co-star in Pushpa 2 Rashmika Mandanna voiced her shock and sadness over the incident. "I can't believe what I am seeing right now... It is heartbreaking to see everything being blamed on a single individual," she said. Rashmika expressed her concern about the unjust focus on Allu Arjun, arguing that the blame shouldn't fall solely on him.

Nani, a leading actor in Telugu cinema, expressed disappointment at the disproportionate attention being given to incidents involving celebrities. He highlighted the stark difference in the way media and government authorities approach matters involving film personalities compared to regular citizens. "I wish the kind of enthusiasm government authorities and media show in anything related to people from cinema was also there for the regular citizens. We would have lived in a better society," Nani said.

He further acknowledged the tragedy, stressing that everyone involved, including the actor, the theatre management, and the authorities, shared responsibility. "We should all learn from the disaster and be a lot more careful hereafter," he added.

Veteran actor Raza Murad came out strongly in defense of Allu Arjun, criticising the arrest as 'beyond understanding.' Murad pointed out that actors cannot be held responsible for crowd control, which he argued lies with the theatre's management. "It is not a crime to be popular or to work in hit films," he stated, adding that the crowd's presence was a result of the actor's popularity, not his direct actions.

Nithiin, another actor, described the incident as 'heartbreaking' and urged for collective responsibility in preventing such tragedies in the future. He emphasised learning from the disaster rather than blaming individuals.

Nana Patekar, however, took a more firm stance, stating that if a mistake is made, an arrest should be made. "If an incident happens because of me, then I should be arrested," he said, adding that if Allu Arjun had been responsible for the stampede, an arrest would be justified.

Soon after being taken into 14-day custody, the Telangana High Court granted interim bail to the actor, citing a lack of intent to cause harm. Earlier, Allu Arjun had pledged to provide financial assistance to the critically injured 7-year-old and expressed condolence for the loss of the lady.

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