Allu Arjun draws flak for comments on theatre stampede

HYDERABAD

Actor Allu Arjun has drawn sharp criticism from political leaders, following his remarks at a press conference in the city on Saturday after Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s called the film fraternity ‘inhuman’ in the Assembly the same day.

Congress leaders, including MPs Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy and Anil Kumar Yadav, and MLC Balmoor Venkat, accused the actor of lacking clarity and empathy in his response and asked him to be a ‘real hero’.

“We expected Allu Arjun to deliver a meaningful message to the public, but his comments seemed scripted,” said Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy. “The actor prioritised box office collections over public safety,” he said and urged him to be a role model both on and off screen.

Highlighting the government’s decision to increase ticket prices to offset production losses, Mr. Kiran Kumar noted that the CM and Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy had stressed the need to prevent such incidents in future and regulate benefit shows.

Mr. Venkat echoed similar sentiments. “You claim to bring pride to Telugu people, but when lives are lost, empathy and support for the victims’ families are paramount,” he said, urging the actor to introspect and reconsider his statements.

“Despite knowing what happened, you continued celebrating. What message does this send to the society?” he asked. It is the responsibility of celebrities to inspire positive change, he said.

Meanwhile, at a press meet on Sunday, Mr. Yadav said that the CM had presented the facts about the incident and rejected the allegations of character assassination of Allu Arjun.

“The CM spoke intending to prevent such incidents from occurring again. Actors are considered role models by the society, especially the youth. Films should convey messages that benefit the society. Why aren’t you making films to raise awareness about the ill-effects of drugs? If BRS MLA K.T. Rama Rao is supporting Allu Arjun, why did not he visit the victims’ families? BJP leader Bandi Sanjay Kumar is also supporting the actor and claims that the CM has hurt the film industry. If that is true, the government would not have permitted an increase in ticket prices or allowed benefit shows,” he said.

CPI leader K. Narayana accused Allu Arjun’s movies of glorifying illegal activities and using objectionable content. “Instead of producing toxic films, focus on projects that contribute positively to the society,” Mr. Narayana said in a video message.