Film stars back Allu Arjun, say security is shared responsibility
Hyderabad:Social media erupted into a storm of reactions after actor Allu Arjun was arrested on Friday in connection to the stampede at Sandhya Theatre during the ‘Pushpa-2’ premiere show, which claimed a life.
While fans expressed outrage and grief, and other users debated about the arrest, many celebrities took to social platforms to support the actor.
Pushpa-2 lead actress Rashmika Mandanna expressed her disbelief, and called the situation "unbelievable and heartbreaking." She tweeted, “The incident was unfortunate and deeply saddening. Blaming a single individual for this is disheartening.”
Hindi actor Vivek Oberoi, speaking about the disparity in treatment, said: “If the same accident had happened at a political rally, would the authorities treat the political leader like this? Is this fair?”
Telugu actor and Telugu Desam MLA N. Balakrishna voiced his unequivocal support, stating, “Arresting Allu Arjun is wrong. We will always stand by him.”
Actor Nani, while lamenting the tragedy, called for introspection: “This was an unfortunate incident. We are all at fault here, and one person cannot be blamed. Let’s ensure such disasters never happen again.”
Other Tollywood stars, including Sree Vishnu and Adivi Sesh, emphasised public safety as a collective responsibility. Adivi Sesh also expressed grief for the victim, adding, “What’s happening today feels extremely harsh against Allu Arjun garu.”
Director Gopichand Malineni summed up the collective sentiment: “Blaming and arresting a film actor alone is unfair. Public safety is a shared responsibility. We stand with Allu Arjun during this difficult time.”
Meanwhile, memes flooded social platforms, with users mocking the movie’s popular dialogues. Users on Instagram, sharing the picture of Pushpa-2 movie villain Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat, shared lines like “The most happiest person right now”. Allu Arjun was trending #1 on X with more than 2.25 lakh tweets.
Dil Raju, a renowned movie producer, rushed to the police station in support of the star. K.A Paul, a religious preacher turned politician, questioned why the actor was targeted when no action was taken when people died in stampedes in Andhra Pradesh during the events attented by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu in the past.
Bollywood actor Varun Dhavan, in one of the promotional events, declared his solidarity with the ‘Pushpa’ star. Telugu film star Nani, in a post on his X account, slammed the government and media for their enthusiasm when it comes to anything connected to celebrities.
He said, “We would have lived in a better society had similar attention been paid to the issues of commoners. Trivikram Srinivas, a Telugu movie director, was spotted at the Nampally court.
On the contrary, actress and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut stated that accountability should apply to everyone, regardless of their social standing. Queen star said individuals should be held responsible for their actions. She pointed out the importance of human lives, whether in the context of advertisements or crowded events.
