Woman death at “Pushpa 2” screening: Actor Allu Arjun, others booked
Hyderabad, Dec 5: A woman died and her son was hospitalised due to asphyxiation as crowds jostled at a film theatre here during the premiere show of actor Allu Arjun's "Pushpa 2: The Rule", police said on Thursday.
The incident took place on Wednesday night when a large number of fans thronged the Sandhya theatre to have a glimpse of the actor.
A case was registered against actor Allu Arjun, his security team and the theatre management in connection with the death of the woman, police said.
The police have registered the case under sections 105 and 118(1) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Chikkadpally police station based on the complaint by the deceased's family.
The victim has been identified as 35-year-old Revathi. She was accompanied by her 13-year-old son Sreethej who also suffered suffocation and is being treated in a hospital where he is kept under 48-hour observation, they said.
“Case has been registered against Allu Arjun, his security team and the theatre management over the incident,” official sources told PTI.
There were no arrangements by the theatre management or prior information about the arrival of the actor and other members of the film, according to a statement issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Zone).
"The theatre management did not make any additional provisions regarding security to manage the crowd. Nor was there any separate entry or exit for the actors’ team though the theatre management had information about their arrival," it added.
After Arjun came to the theatre along with his personal security, people tried to enter the cinema hall with him, the police statement said.
"His personal security team started pushing the public which further aggravated the situation as there was already a huge gathering at the theatre," it added.
As the crowd surged forward, the woman and her son, who also tried to enter the theatre, suffocated and fell unconscious, police said.
Police personnel who were on duty pulled them out and conducted Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) on the woman and her son, they said.
The woman and her child were immediately shifted to the nearby Durgabai Deshmukh Hospital, where she died and her son was advised to be shifted to another hospital for better treatment, the statement said.
Addressing media, the victim's husband Bhaskar said doctors have said the condition of his son would be known only after 48 hours.
Bhaskar said a stampede-like situation prevailed at the theatre and that his wife and son moved ahead in the surging crowd, while he stood aside with his daughter.
As he could not locate his wife and son, he dropped his daughter at his relative's house nearby and returned to the theatre to search for them, Bhaskar said. Later, he came to know about his wife's death and son's admission in the hospital.
Bhaskar, who underwent a liver transplantation a year ago, said his wife had supported him a lot. "I owe her my life. She gave me courage and support," he said.
Mythri Movie Makers, the banner behind "Pushpa 2: The Rule", expressed anguish over the tragic incident.
"We are extremely heartbroken by the tragic incident during last night’s screening. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and the young child undergoing medical treatment.
"We are committed to standing by them and extending all possible support during this difficult time," the studio posted.
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Air India resorts to cost-cutting ways amid 'tough times'; layoffs not anticipated
New Delhi/Mumbai (PTI): Hit hard by Pakistan airspace closure and Iran war, Air India has resorted to cost-cutting measures, including holding back annual increments for staff and asking them to cut discretionary spending as well as non-critical expenditures, warning of "tough times".
On Friday, Air India Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director (CEO & MD) Campbell Wilson told the staff it is going to be a "very, very difficult year" if things don't improve on the Middle East front.
A day after the loss-making airline's board discussed various cost-saving steps, Wilson, along with Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Sanjay Sharma and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) Ravindra Kumar GP, addressed the employees during a townhall on Friday where the emphasis on the need to keep a close watch on costs.
With higher jet fuel prices due to the West Asia conflict and airspace curbs, the loss-making airline's expenses have spiralled in recent times and against this backdrop, Sharma also told staffers that FY26 has seen a softening in revenue amid heightened external uncertainties.
Calling for a relentless focus on costs in these tough times, Wilson urged employees to suspend discretionary spending, renegotiate rates where feasible, and defer non-critical expenditures.
"There must be a laser-sharp focus on eliminating wastage and leakages," he said.
Stressing the need to tighten the belt for a while, Wilson sounded optimistic that travel demand would rebound and the industry would continue on its upward path.
CHRO Ravindra Kumar told staff that the airline will proceed with variable pay for the last financial year and continue with planned promotions while noting that annual increments will be deferred by at least one quarter.
"We don't anticipate layoffs," he said.
At the airline's board meeting on Thursday, various cost-saving steps, including likely furloughs, were discussed. The Tata Group-owned airline has around 24,000 employees.
Generally, furlough refers to sending staff on unpaid leaves by companies during a tough financial situation.
During the townhall, CFO Sanjay Sharma said while strong revenue growth and fleet expansion drove financial momentum through FY25, FY26 has seen a softening in revenue amid heightened external uncertainties.
Air India has seen around 40 per cent CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth Rate) in revenue between 2022 and 2025, he added.
The airline was acquired by the Tata Group from the government in January 2022.
The Air India CEO mentioned the external challenges being facing the aviation industry as a whole, including the continued closure of Pakistan airspace that is expected to persist for the foreseeable future and geopolitical conflicts leading to disruptions and airspace closures across West Asia.
Wilson, who is set to step down later this year, also flagged a sharp depreciation of the rupee and a 2.5-3 times increase in jet fuel prices, and added that these factors have adversely affected travel sentiment and consumer confidence, as per the sources.
If the Strait of Hormuz opens, oil prices fall and consumer as well as business confidence come back, there is a decent chance of a solid recovery, Wilson said, adding that unless those circumstances happen, it was going to be "a very, very difficult year".
"I feel somewhat responsible that we ended up with probably the biggest surprise of the year in the external environment which was a full-scale war in our neighbouring region in the Gulf. That has had a huge impact on airspace," he said.
For Air India, Wilson said the situation is compounded by the fact that the airline cannot fly over the neighbouring country and has to take a much longer routing for any west-bound destination.
"Every airline is reporting that they are under some sort of financial pressure as a result of higher fuel prices and economic uncertainty. So, it is unfortunately not a great environment to be running an airline," the Air India CEO said.
The Air India Group -- Air India and Air India Express -- is projected to have incurred more than Rs 22,000 crore loss in the financial year ended March 2026.
At the townhall, Wilson also highlighted various initiatives, including completion of the retrofit of its legacy narrow-body aircraft and rapid network optimisation to redeploy capacity more efficiently.
