Boney Kapoor Defends Allu Arjun Over Pushpa 2 Stampede Tragedy

Film director and producer Boney Kapoor has come forward to defend actor Allu Arjun following the tragic stampede at the screening of Pushpa 2: The Rule, which resulted in the death of a 35-year-old woman and left her son critically injured. Despite being granted interim bail by the Telangana High Court, Allu Arjun was briefly detained in Chanchalguda prison for a night before his release.

Boney Kapoor, visibly troubled by the incident, highlighted the intense fan frenzy that often accompanies South Indian film releases. Drawing from his own experience, Kapoor recounted, "When I first witnessed the release of Ajith’s film at 1 am, I was shocked to see a crowd of 20,000 to 25,000 people outside the theatre. And when I left the show around 3:30 to 4 am, the crowd had not diminished. I’ve been told the same happens during the releases of films by Rajinikanth, Chiranjeevi, and today’s stars like Jr NTR, Ram Charan, and Mahesh Babu," he shared with Galatta Plus, emphasizing the magnitude of crowds these superstars attract.

Addressing the Pushpa 2 incident at Hyderabad's Sandhya Theatre, Kapoor pointed out the role of inflated ticket prices and additional shows in contributing to the chaotic situation. "Ticket prices are often raised on the first few days or for extra shows, which causes huge crowds to gather," Kapoor explained. "It’s unfortunate that Allu Arjun was blamed for the death of a fan when the real issue was the uncontrollable crowd."

Allu Arjun was granted interim bail last month by the Telangana High Court in relation to the stampede that occurred during the premiere of his much-anticipated film. The court, which is currently reviewing his regular bail petition, is expected to deliver its verdict on January 3.

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