Revanth Reddy met with Tollywood actors and filmmakers amid strained ties between the ruling dispensation and Tinseltown following Allu Arjun’s arrest.
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has reportedly assured Tollywood actors and filmmakers that his government supports the Telugu film industry and has clarified that there will be no compromise on law and order.
Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy with actor Venkatesh Daggubati during a meeting with directors, producers, and actors of the Telugu film industry in Hyderabad on Thursday. Revanth Reddy held a meeting with Tollywood actors and filmmakers on Thursday amid strained ties between the ruling dispensation and the tinseltown following the arrest of Pushpa 2actor Allu Arjun.
News agency ANI, citing unnamed sources, reported that Revanth Reddy also said celebrities must control their fans and the industry must be responsible.
The meeting was held at the Telangana State Police Command and Control Centre at Banjara Hills in Hyderabad.
Telangana Film Development Corporation (FDC) chairman Dil Raju led the delegation of influential people from Tollywood. Among other attendees are actors such as Nagarjuna, Varun Tej, Sai Dharam Tej, Kalyan Ram, Shiva Balaji, Adavi Sesh, Nithin, and Venkatesh.
The meeting included directors Koratala Siva, Anil Ravipudi, K Raghavendra Rao, Prashanth Varma, and Sai Rajesh, as well as producers Suresh Babu, KL Narayana, Damodhar, Allu Aravind, BVSN Prasad, and Chinna Babu.
On December 4, when Allu Arjun attended the premiere of Pushpa 2: The Rule at Sandhya Theatre, a massive crowd gathered to catch a glimpse of the actor, and chaos ensued when he waved to fans from the sunroof of his car. This led to the tragic death of a 35-year-old woman and injuries to her eight-year-old child.
Some ruling Congress leaders have criticized Allu Arjun’s comments last week, describing the stampede incident as purely accidental and denying the allegations made by CM Revanth Reddy on the “roadshow” before the film screening.
Revanth Reddy vs Allu Arjun
Hours after Revanth Reddy slammed the actor for holding a roadshow and waving to the crowds at the theatre without referring to anyone, the ‘Pushpa’ star refuted the allegations, saying it was not a procession or a roadshow.
The Hyderabad Police arrested Allu Arjun in connection with the death of the woman on December 13.
On the same day, the Telangana High Court granted him a four-week interim bail, and he was released from prison on December 14 morning.
Following the incident, Allu Arjun was arrested and later released on bail after furnishing a ₹50,000 bond. On Tuesday, Hyderabad police questioned him about the tragic incident during his film Pushpa 2 premiere.
The incident has also sparked political controversy. Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy blamed Allu Arjun for the tragedy, stating in the Assembly that police had denied permission for any event at Sandhya Theatre due to safety concerns.
The actor, however, dismissed the allegations, calling them an attempt at “character assassination.”
