The much-anticipated screening of Pushpa 2, last Night at Mumbai’s Gaiety Galaxy Theatre chaos overtook the Rule, starring Allu Arjun. As an unidentified substance was aerosolized inside the hall panic set in and screening was abandoned. Some participants reported severe laryngeal irritation and coughing which led to an immediate evacuation.
Images from the site showed terrified filmgoers covering their faces in the wake of mayhem. “The movie has been stopped. Someone sprayed and everybody is coughing,” a speaker on the video explained. Screening of Pushpa 2 was done unceremoniously at the very start of the film, which disturbed the audience.
Screening of Pushpa 2 filled with controversies
Promptly, the authorities went to Bandra cinema to investigate the incident. Although currently there has been no registered case, the authorities are looking carefully at how this disruption works. Despite the non-lethal nature of the incident, it caused audience fright and sparked alarm regarding the safety of movie audiences at its cinema halls during big film releases.
This disruption followed a fatal incident the previous day, the release of Pushpa 2 in Hyderabad. At Sandhya Theatre, a stampede incident caused the death of a 35-year-old woman and the hospitalization of her 9-year-old son. The scene degenerated when people pushed for a view of Allu Arjun, who in a surprise appearance, showed up at the site.
Allu Arjun and the Sandhya Theatre management are booked after the stampede at Hyderabad, facing the charge of culpable homicide. Authorities have attributed the disaster to a lack of planning and security, etc. The actor who plays the titular role of Pushpa has remained silent on the allegations.
The feature film Pushpa 2, directed by Sukumar, features an agricultural worker, now turned US smuggling kingpin, Allu Arjun. The film also stars Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil. While the fan base eagerly awaits its full release, the Mumbai trauma screening disruptiveness and the Hyderabad tragedy have eclipsed the crest.
Also, see: Tragedy at Pushpa 2 premier: Allu Arjun to be charged for stampede