Vishwak Sen planned to watch Cult with audiences at Hyderabad’s Sudarshan 35MM Theatre on its opening day. However, the police have reportedly denied permission for his visit. This is another reminder of how cautious the authorities have become about actors making public appearances at theatres.
The Allu Arjun incident at Sandhya Theatre during Pushpa 2 has clearly changed the way such visits are viewed. The stampede resulted in the death of a woman and injuries to several others, bringing crowd management at celebrity appearances under serious scrutiny. Since then, police have been cautious about allowing stars to visit theatres, particularly when large crowds are expected.
Interestingly, Vishwak Sen himself faced crowd-management problems just a few days ago. His Cult fan photo session at Sarathi Studios in Hyderabad had to be stopped midway after a huge crowd turned up. The actor later apologised to fans who could not meet him and promised another session with better arrangements.
Now, his planned theatre visit has also been stopped. While the exact reason for the police decision is not officially known, the recent incidents show why crowd safety has become a major concern whenever stars plan to meet fans in public.
For actors, meeting fans on release day is a promotional opportunity. For the police, managing the crowds that follow them has become a serious responsibility.
