Allu Arjun finally poses an apology post the killing of a fan at Pushpa 2 premiere

Sukumar stated, “I have worked for over 6 years on this film, but I’ve not been happy for 3 days now because a director is always sensitive. Irrespective of me working for 3 years or 6 years, I cannot create a life. My heart is broken due to what happened. I am very sorry for that…I apologise to the family and assure you, we will always support you.”

He added, “We are extremely sorry. We genuinely didn’t know what happened. I’ve been doing this for 20 years (going to theatres on opening day); it’s very unfortunate that this happened.”

The actor went on to say that he stayed in the theater until the end of the movie because the management warned him it was disturbing the quiet, not because he had learned of the fan’s passing. “I watched the film and left midway because management told me it was causing issues. We only found out the next day that Revathi had died; I was shocked,” he said.

Arjun emphasised, “It took me time to respond psychologically…I want to stabilise and come back to the table; it takes me time to process. When we heard what happened, we all blanked out. Sukumar garu became really emotional; all our energies went down.”

He went on to say, as he did in the video he uploaded on Friday night, that it was devastating to hear about this incident because he enjoys making movies that people see in theaters, “The money I’ve given ( ₹25 lakh) is only a gesture to show we’re there for them. I don’t want to disturb them; I’m giving them their space. I will never be able to help with their loss, but I will meet them once they recover. I’ll help them in whatever way I can,” he stated.

Team Pushpa 2 faces backlash

Some believed that Arjun had learned of the fan’s death and was departing to avoid the situation when the news broke and the footage of him leaving the Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad halfway appeared. He later came under fire for failing to address the matter on social media, despite the fact that his team had contacted the family to offer financial support. People criticized him for not expressing regret to the family and accepting responsibility for his part in the accident when he released a video expressing condolences.

A stampede broke out when Arjun, his wife Allu Sneha Reddy, and co-star Rashmika Mandanna went to the theater on December 4. A mother suffered injuries and lost consciousness along with her little son. Her son was hospitalized in critical condition while the woman passed away. Based on a complaint made by the victim’s family, police have opened an investigation against Arjun, his security detail, and the theater’s management.