‘Unbelievable’: Rashmika defends Allu Arjun after arrest; Chiranjeevi visits house

Hyderabad: Hours after the arrest of Allu Arjun in connection with a stampede during the premiere of 'Pushpa 2: The Rule' at the Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad, megastar Chiranjeevi and his wife Surekha were seen visiting their nephew's residence on Friday evening. Chiranjeevi's brother Nagababu also visited Allu Arjun's family following the actor's arrest. 

Rashmika Mandanna, who co-stars with Allu Arjun in Pushpa 2: The Rule, defended the Telugu superstar saying an individual should not be singled out for the unfortunate incident. 

"I can't believe what I am seeing right now.. The incident that happened was an unfortunate and deeply saddening incident," Mandanna, who plays the role Srivalli in "Pushpa 2", said in a post on X.

"However, it is disheartening to see everything being blamed on a single individual. This situation is both unbelievable and heartbreaking," she added.

Bollywood star Varun Dhawan has come out in support of Allu Arjun, stating it is not right to blame a single individual.

Speaking at the pre-release event of 'Baby John' in Jaipur, Varun said, "The actor cannot take sole responsibility for safety protocols. You can only advise the people around you... The incident was tragic. I extend my condolences, but at the same time, you cannot hold just one person accountable."

Arjun was arrested from his residence and taken to Chikkadpally police station earlier on Friday. He was granted interim bail by the Telangana High Court after the actor was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days by a local court.

A 35-year-old woman died and her eight-year-old son has been hospitalised in the incident which took place on December 4 night when a large number of fans thronged the Sandhya theatre here to have a glimpse of the actor.

(with inputs from agencies)