Veteran filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma believes that South-Indian superstar Allu Arjun’s arrest amid the ‘Pushpa 2’ release was a ‘publicity’ stunt to boost the film’s collections.

For the unversed, ‘Pushpa 2’ star Allu Arjun was arrested by the Chikkadapally police of Hyderabad on Friday and was sent on 14-day judicial custody by a local court, in connection to a woman’s death in the fatal stampede, which took place at the film’s screening in Sandhya Theatre, a night before the film’s global release on December 5.

The Tollywood superstar had made a surprise visit at the event, under heavy security and police protection, triggering a massive crowd of fans at the venue, which resulted in a stampede-like situation, when a woman named Revathi and her nine-year-old son Sri Tej lost consciousness, and she was declared dead upon arrival at the Durga Bhai Deshmukh Hospital.

Arjun was later released on a four-week interim bail by the Telangana High Court on Saturday.

Reacting to the news, India’s National Award-winning filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma believed that Arjun’s arrest was a deliberate move by Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, to give a boost to the second-weekend Box Office collection of ‘Pushpa: The Rule’.

Taking to his official X handle over the weekend, Varma claimed in a long note, “Regarding everybody’s SURPRISE SHOCK about why the Honourable chief minister of TELANGANA @revanth_anumala did this to @alluarjun, I think it is because he wanted to give a BIG PUBLICITY BOOST to the Telangana state’s FAVOURITE SON for a HUGE RISE in #Pushpa2‘s week 2‘s collections.”

Regarding everybody’s SURPRISE SHOCK about why the Honourable chief minister of TELANGANA @revanth_anumala did this to @alluarjun , I think it is because he wanted to give a BIG PUBLICITY BOOST to the telangana state’s FAVOURITE SON for a HUGE RISE in #Pushpa2 ‘s week 2 ‘s…

— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) December 14, 2024

The veteran filmmaker continued, “This explains why the STATE did such a deliberately weak PROSECUTION so that he could be BAILED OUT in a few hours and become even more MEGA POPULAR to RULE the BOX OFFICE for a LOOONG LOOOOONGGG TIME.”

“Thank you shri @revanth_anumula garu, for holding the TELANGANA STATE’S PRIDE as SUPER HIGH as #Pushpa2‘s SUPER COLLECTIONS,” he concluded.

It is worth noting here that CM Reddy has previously denied the role of the state government in Arjun’s arrest, adding that the law is taking its own course. “He’s a film, it’s his business to make a movie and earn money, what does that have to do with us? Did he fight any India-Pakistan war at the border and win for India? He made a movie, it’s minting money, that’s all there is to it,” he said talking to an Indian media outlet.

Also Read: Rashmika Mandanna reacts to ‘Pushpa 2’ costar Allu Arjun’s arrest

As for the action sequel, besides Arjun in the titular character of Pushpa Raj, the sequel sees Fahadh Faasil as the main antagonist SP Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat, along with Rashmika Mandanna, who reprises her character of Srivalli from the prequel film.

The title has grossed INR1300 crores in its worldwide ticket sales over the first 10 days of release.