Nani seeks nod to watch 'The Paradise' premiere with fans; police cite crowd concerns

Actor Nani's wish to watch the premiere of his upcoming film, The Paradise, alongside fans at a theatre in RTC X Roads has set off a back-and-forth with the Telangana government and police, with authorities pointing to crowd management duties during the Ganesh idol immersions.

The actor reached out on social media to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and the Telangana Police, seeking permission to attend the premiere on Wednesday. He described the venue as a significant marker in cinema culture and said the team would follow all necessary safety protocols.

Responding, the Chief Minister acknowledged the actor's stated respect for safety norms and his commitment to the film, which is directed by Srikanth Odela. He, however, asked the team to follow the formal route rather than settle the matter through an exchange on social media, directing them to file an official application at the designated local police station. Such a request, he said, would be assessed on grounds of crowd management and public safety before a decision is taken.

The Chief Minister also tagged Director General of Police C.V. Anand, who then weighed in. Addressing Nani and the director, the DGP noted that the proposed premiere clashed with the tenth day of Ganesh idol immersions, when thousands of idols are immersed across the State, particularly in Hussainsagar. Since RTC X Roads lies close to routes leading to the lake, the Hyderabad police would have to determine whether enough personnel could be spared for the actor's visit while a large force is already committed to immersion bandobust, he said.

The DGP also recalled the December 2024 Sandhya Theatre incident, in which a woman, Revathi, died and her son Sri Tej was critically injured in a crowd surge linked to the premiere of Pushpa 2. That reference carries weight because Sandhya Theatre stands in the same RTC X Roads area where Nani sought to watch his film with fans. The city police, he said, would examine the request in light of the current circumstances and deployment needs.

Nani later said the team understood the importance of public safety, especially given the Ganesh Nimarjanam arrangements, and did not want to add to the police's burden or inconvenience the public. The team would accept whatever decision the police take, he added.

Meanwhile, Chikkadpally police said no formal application had been received from the film team. Officials said they were tied up with security arrangements for the immersions and that any request that comes in would be examined with law and order and public safety in mind.