✍Surbhi Dinesh Singh Khichi
Being in the public eye can be dangerous. A happy fan gathering can turn fatal. As fatal as leading to someone’s death.
National award winning actor Allu Arjun whose recent release is grossing hundreds of crores at the box office got into trouble today. The actor has been arrested over his connection to the stampede caused at the December 4 premiere of his film Pushpa 2 – The rule at Sandhya theatre, Hyderabad. The surprise arrival of the star at the premiere wreaked havoc in public leading to crowd mismanagement and security lapse. While trying to get closer to the star and get to see him properly, everyone starting rushing over. Due to which a 35-year-old woman succumbed to death because of the injuries caused. The actor announced a donation of 25 lakhs to the deceased’s family, but is now facing legal action.
This is not the first time when a celeb has been arrested in such a case. There have been similar instances where celebrities globally have been brought under the legal hammer. Allu Arjun’s arrest raises questions about the responsibility and accountability associated with crowd management at such high profile events. A list of three big celebrities, other than Allu Arjun who faced the court –
Shah Rukh Khan – The Bollywood star was booked in 2017 during the promotions of his film Raees, when the actor decided to undertake a train journey from Mumbai to Delhi. A fan allegedly died at the Vadodara railway station due to heart attack caused by suffocation. As many as 15000 people gathered just to catch a glimpse of the star. The report against the star claimed that it was the negligence on his part that caused the tragedy.
Travis Scott – In 2021, the American rapper faced as many as 100 lawsuits after the Astroworld festival in Houston, Texas. During the festival, a stampede caused the death of 10 people, the youngest being a nine-year-old boy. Scott was sacked with these lawsuits for a negligence in event planning and safety protocols. However, there was a settlement in 2024.
Glorilla - The 2023 Glorilla concert in Rochester, New York turned into a death scene when three attendees died while trying to escape. The stampede was caused because of false reports of gunshots fired. The star and security management at the venue were accused for the mishap, but later officials called it baseless for any criminal charges.
The Judas priest band and Randy Blythe, the lead vocalist at the Lamb of God concert have faced the same. So whose fault is it really? The administration, the celeb or the people themselves. The desire of a star gaze can cause someone their life. The responsibility is shared by everyone, so is the accountability. Stricter security measures, better means and measures for crowd management are important so that an event doesn’t turns into a tragedy.