Pushpa 2 stampede: The hidden toll of cinematic fandom Premium

Tragedy strikes at a cinema hall during a screening of Pushpa-2, highlighting the fervor and risks of fandom.

Inside a packed cinema hall, three teenage girls perched on the edge of their seats giggle as Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna share a romantic moment in the kitchen. A little later, the screen erupts into an athletic dance sequence in Pushpa-2. What feels more like a PT drill than choreography sends the audience of 100-plus into a frenzy — cheers, whistles, and catcalls filling the air.

It was amid the communal euphoria such as this inside a darkened hall of Sandhya 70 MM theatre in Hyderabad that a tragedy unfolded on December 4 — a 35-year-old woman died, and her eight-year-old son continues to battle for life at a private hospital.

Every Friday, the cinema comes alive with a pulsating crowd of film enthusiasts armed with crackers, drums, tinsel, tambourines, oversized speakers, flower garlands, and packets of milk. As part of the ritual, dozens of milk packets are emptied over a towering 70-foot poster. “We spend the money from our own pockets for this. I love Allu Arjun,” says Manoj Reddy, but clams up when the conversation turns to the tragic events of December 4.

Now 28, Reddy mans the souvenir and ice-cream counter at the AAA (Allu Arjun Army) cinema hall in Ameerpet. A fan of the actor since Parugu (2008) and Race Gurram (2014), he admits he hasn’t yet seen Pushpa-2, as he is observing Ayyappa deeksha, a 41-day period of absistence and penitence dedicated to Swamy Ayyappa.

The cinema hall, partially owned by Allu Arjun, features an Icon Star Lounge adorned with posters from his films and a section dedicated to family photographs. Inside, red low-settees are scattered across the spacious hall, where visitors, men and women alike, wander in, settle down, pose for photos, or snap selfies. Many mimic the iconic gesture and dialogue from Pushpa-1, sliding the back of their hands under their chin in a signature move. Here, moviegoers don’t just watch the legend; they become part of it.

“The actors are no longer just selling movies; they are selling experiences that can’t be replicated on OTT,” says Uma Bhrugubanda, an associate professor at the English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, who has researched Indian cinema and cultural history.

“After the COVID pandemic, big-star films were bringing people back to theatres. Pathaan and Jawan did it in the north. Big-budget films don’t rake in money unless they get a wide release, so they began positioning the theatre experience as part of the appeal to draw people in,” she explains.