A 39-year-old woman died, and a young boy remains in critical condition following a stampede at the premiere of Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2: The Rule on Wednesday night at Sandhya Theatre, RTC Crossroads, Hyderabad.

The victim, identified as Revathi from Dilsukhnagar, attended the screening with her husband Bhaskar and their two children. Chaos erupted around 10:30 PM as fans scrambled to catch a glimpse of Allu Arjun, who was present at the event. Reports indicate that the crowd spiralled out of control when news of the actor’s arrival spread, with many rushing closer to the star despite heavy police and security presence.

Videos shared online show police and bystanders rushing to help Revathi. CPR was administered before she was rushed to a hospital, but she succumbed to her injuries. Her critically injured son was later shifted to a super-speciality hospital. The theatre’s main gate reportedly collapsed amid the chaos, prompting police to resort to a lathi charge to disperse the crowd.

Inside the theatre, Allu Arjun remained under heightened security. Additional police forces were deployed to prevent further incidents. Upon being escorted to his car, the actor briefly appeared through his sunroof to wave at fans and was seen urging them to make way for his vehicle to leave the premises.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the tragic incident, which overshadowed the much-anticipated premiere of the blockbuster sequel.