Telangana CM Revanth Reddy urges Telugu film industry to be responsible, assures govt support

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, in a key meeting with prominent Telugu actors and filmmakers on Thursday, said the that Telugu film industry must be responsible to their fans and that it has the support of the state government, reported ANI citing sources.

The Congress leader, who has faced political backlash in the light of police action against Telugu actor Allu Arjun from the fallout of the Pushpa 2 stampede death case, also stressed on the need to adhere to law and order.

The meeting, held at the Telangana State Police Command and Control Centre at in Hyderabad's Banjara Hills, addressed several concerns surrounding the film industry's operations, particularly in relation to crowd control, public safety, and the industry's broader role in shaping social behaviour.


A delegation of prominent figures from Tollywood, led by Telangana Film Development Corporation (FDC) chairman Dil Raju, attended the meeting. The group included well-known actors such as Nagarjuna, Varun Tej, Sai Dharam Tej, Kalyan Ram, Shiva Balaji, Adavi Sesh, Nithin, and Venkatesh.

Also present were notable directors like Koratala Siva, Anil Ravipudi, K Raghavendra Rao, Prashanth Varma, and Sai Rajesh, along with producers including Suresh Babu, KL Narayana, Damodhar, Allu Aravind, BVSN Prasad, and Chinna Babu.

Telangana Film Development Corporation (FDC) Chairman Dil Raju said that the government had sought their support in tackling the drug issue, and they have agreed to assist in the effort.

"The CM's vision is that our film industry and government should work together. The first point discussed was that the government and industry should work together to increase the prestige of Tollywood. We will proceed further to create an international hub here in Hyderabad,” he said addressing a press conference post the meeting.

The Pushpa 2 stampede and Allu Arjun

A 35-year-old woman lost her life in a stampede at the Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad on December 4, during a screening of Pushpa 2 when the film star made a surprise appearance at the theatre. Her eight-year-old son was also injured and has been hospitalised.

Following the incident, a case was filed against Allu Arjun, his security team, and the theatre management at Chikkadpally police station. The case, registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), was based on a complaint from the woman's family.

Allu Arjun was arrested by the city police on December 13 in connection with the woman's death. However, the Telangana High Court granted him a four-week interim bail on the same day. He was subsequently released from prison on the morning of December 14.

Meanwhile, CM Revanth Reddy held Allu Arjun responsible for the tragedy, stating in the Assembly that the police had denied permission for any event at Sandhya Theatre due to safety concerns. In response, BJP and BRS leaders attacked the Congress government, accusing CM Revanth Reddy of deliberately targeting the 'politically neutral' actor.