Hyderabad:The city welcomed the New Year with gusto, but conspicuously missing in most most events excluded the bouncer security services. Even celebrities chose to avoid the usual entourage of bouncers following the December 4 stampede at the ‘Pushpa 2’, where the role of bouncers had come into question.
In a recent annual review, city police commissioner C.V. Anand warned bouncers and security personnel that any misconduct, such as pushing or manhandling, would face strict action.
A bouncer, speaking on condition of anonymity, shared, “We’re staying away from New Year events. The Sandhya theater incident left us shocked and panicked. I provide bouncers for events, but now I prefer to wait.”
Shiva, a field manager with an agency employing 250 bouncers, including women, noted the sharp decline in demand.
Event manager Prabhakar Reddy explained why bouncers are being avoided this year. “Bouncers lend a grand impression to events. After the recent incident, we’re not taking risks. For our two New Year events, we didn’t hire bouncers.”
The risks of being a bouncer are significant. T.S. Anthony, a former Mr. Hyderabad, shared why he quit the profession. “We were hired by wealthy individuals and celebrities, who sometimes get into quarrels. Sometimes, opposing parties would attack us, even after the event, particularly on our way home. This happened at clubs and pubs too.”
