Pushpa 2 premiere tragedy leads Telangana to ban actor visits and benefit shows before movie releases

Following the tragic stampede at the premiere of "Pushpa 2" in Hyderabad, the Telangana government announced new measures to prevent such incidents. On Saturday, Minister for Cinematography Komatireddy Venkat Reddy declared that actor visits and benefit shows ahead of movie releases will no longer be allowed.

Addressing the Assembly, the minister shared that while the government continues to support the film industry with special incentives, it will not approve ticket price hikes for movies. This decision comes after the incident at Sandhya Theatre on December 4, which claimed a woman’s life and critically injured her son. The minister also criticized actor Allu Arjun for not honoring his promise to pay ?25 lakh to the bereaved family.

Venkat Reddy announced that ?25 lakh would be provided to the family by the Prateek Foundation. During a visit to KIMS Hospital, where the injured child, Sri Teja, is undergoing treatment, the minister handed over a cheque to the boy’s father and assured continued financial support for medical expenses.

The minister also pointed out that neither Allu Arjun nor the film's team visited the grieving family or met the injured boy. He promised steps to ensure such tragedies are avoided in the future. He added that decisions on ticket price hikes would be made on a case-to-case basis.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy criticized Allu Arjun for disregarding police warnings by visiting the theatre and conducting a roadshow. He condemned the lack of empathy shown by the film fraternity, stating that while they supported the actor, they ignored the victim’s family. The Chief Minister emphasized the need for stricter measures to prioritize public safety.