HYDERABAD: Film producer Allu Aravind on Sunday visited Srithesh, the young boy critically injured in the tragic stampede at Sandhya Theatre last December, which occurred during the premiere of Pushpa 2 in Hyderabad. The incident, triggered by the arrival of star actor Allu Arjun, claimed the life of a woman named Revathi and left her son Srithesh severely injured.
Aravind visited Srithesh at the Ananta Rehabilitation Centre in Begumpet, where the boy has been recovering after being discharged from KIMS Hospital in Secunderabad on April 29. He spoke with doctors to understand the current state of the child’s health and later interacted with Srithesh’s family and relatives.
Expressing solidarity with the family, Aravind said that the entire Allu family is earnestly hoping for Srithesh’s full recovery. He shared his optimism upon hearing that Srithesh is steadily improving and said he looks forward to seeing the boy return to a normal life soon.
Doctors attending to Srithesh confirmed that the child is under continuous care and has been responding to treatment. He has begun taking liquid food orally and has regained some responsiveness, though he is not yet able to recognise people around him. They cautioned that full recovery could still take time.
The film industry has stepped in with substantial support for the family. Pushpa producer Naveen Yerneni and director Sukumar each pledged ₹50 lakh, while actor Allu Arjun announced a compensation of ₹1 crore. Srithesh’s father, Bhaskar, confirmed the contributions and said they have helped sustain the extensive treatment over the past five months.
The stampede occurred on the night of 4 December 2024 during a promotional event for Pushpa 2 at Sandhya Theatre. Following the incident, Allu Arjun was named the 11th accused in the case and was arrested by the police. He was later granted bail with strict conditions, including a ban on international travel without court permission and a requirement to report personally to the police station every Sunday.
