Pushpa 2 Screening Disrupted at Mumbai Theatre after Unknown Substance Allegedly Sprayed

A screening of Allu-Arjun starrer ‘Pushpa 2: The Rule’ was abruptly halted on Thursday night, at Mumbai’s Gaiety Galaxy after an unknown substance was allegedly sprayed inside the cinema hall. Several moviegoers began experiencing discomfort, with complaints of coughing, throat irritation, and vomiting. This prompted the theatre staff to stop the screening temporarily.

According to the Mumbai police, the three-hour film was paused for around 20 minutes after the interval. The audience members who were affected by the incident expressed their distress on social media, with videos showing individuals coughing and suffering from nausea during the show. One video captured a chaotic scene, where a man was heard saying, "The movie has been stopped. Someone sprayed something, and everyone is coughing."

A police team arrived at the scene soon after the disruption to investigate the incident. However, no formal case has been registered yet, as the authorities are still looking into whether a substance was indeed sprayed inside the theatre.

This comes a day after an incident of stampede at a cinema hall in Hyderabad. During the premiere of Pushpa 2, a stampede at Sandhya Theatre resulted in the death of a woman. The chaos erupted when a large crowd gathered to see Allu Arjun, who made a surprise appearance. The stampede led to the death of the 35-year-old woman, and her 9-year-old son was hospitalized due to asphyxiation.

In the aftermath of the stampede, police have filed charges against Allu Arjun, his security team, and the management of Sandhya Theatre under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 118(1) (causing hurt with dangerous means) of the Indian Penal Code. Allu Arjun and the theatre management have not yet commented on the incident.

Directed by Sukumar, Pushpa 2 also features Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil, with Arjun reprising his role in the film’s continuation. The film has achieved remarkable success at the box office, continuing the legacy of its predecessor. The film has broken several records, grossing impressive numbers both domestically and internationally. Within its opening weekend, it surpassed expectations, becoming one of the highest-grossing films of the year.​