Hyderabad witnessed a memorable evening on Saturday as the Telangana government hosted the first-ever Gaddar Awards, celebrating excellence in cinema. The highlight of the night was when Allu Arjun received the Best Actor accolade for his performance in Pushpa 2: The Rule — an event fans hailed as a significant ‘full circle’ moment.
The award was presented by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who had previously been vocal in his criticism of Arjun following the tragic stampede at the Pushpa 2 premiere. This moment of recognition was widely seen as a form of redemption for the star.
Taking the stage with pride, Arjun delivered his iconic ‘thaggede le’ (I won’t back down) line before accepting the honor. Sharing his gratitude on X (formerly Twitter), he expressed, “Humbled and grateful to receive the Gaddar Award for Best Actor for #Pushpa2.”
Arjun extended heartfelt thanks to the Telangana government and key dignitaries including CM Revanth Reddy, Deputy CM Bhatti Mallu, Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, producer Dil Raju, and the award jury. He also celebrated the spirit of the awards, applauding the initiative to honor cinema’s talents.
“My love to all my fans — this one’s for you, my Army,” he wrote, also congratulating fellow winners at the #GaddarTelanganaFilmAwards.
Fans Celebrate Arjun’s ‘Comeback’
Supporters of Allu Arjun took to social media with excitement, sharing clips juxtaposing past criticisms from Revanth Reddy with the present moment of the CM handing over the prestigious award. Many viewed this as a symbolic comeback.
One fan noted, “The same Revanth Reddy who was critical of Arjun during the #Pushpa2 stampede incident is now personally awarding him Best Actor. Well done, @alluarjun.”
Others posted videos of protests that had occurred outside Arjun’s residence during the controversy, contrasting them with his confident speech on stage. “Redemption… Rappa Rappa,” wrote a fan, while another praised the comeback, saying, “Bhai’s comeback is epic — facing a case and still winning the most prestigious award from the one who filed it.”
Recap of the Pushpa 2 Stampede Case
The shadow of the December 4, 2024 tragedy still lingers. During the Pushpa 2: The Rule premiere at Sandhya Theatre, RTC X Roads, Hyderabad, a stampede led to the death of a woman and left her young son critically injured. Allu Arjun and his family were present at the event. Following the incident, a case was lodged against the actor, his security team, and the theatre management.
Arjun was arrested on December 13 but granted interim bail shortly after, though he spent a night in custody. Since then, he has publicly apologized and taken responsibility by covering the medical expenses of the injured child. The Telangana government and CM Revanth Reddy had openly criticized Arjun for allegedly attending the premiere without proper permissions.
