Suniel Narang dismisses injury rumours, says ‘none was hurt’
According to local police, no official complaint was filed, as those affected reportedly reached a compromise with the theatre management.
Reacting to reports that two people were hurt when part of the ceiling at the Asian Mukunda theatre in Mahabubabad, Telangana, collapsed on Wednesday night, leading exhibitor Suniel Narang, who owns Asian Cinemas, clarified, “The reports are baseless since no one was injured,” adding, “It was only a small portion of the ceiling that fell, and it landed in the first two rows. There was no one sitting in those seats during the show.”
The incident occurred around 11:30 PM during the screening of Kuberaa, starring Dhanush, Rashmika Mandanna, Nagarjuna, and Jim Sarbh, directed by Sekhar Kammula. “The audience was a bit shocked, but nothing untoward happened,” Narang added.
Videos of the incident, which surfaced on social media on Friday, triggered varied reactions online. “It is only a social media buzz; no complaint was filed and the issue was resolved without any fuss,” Narang clarified further.
The viral videos also renewed focus on the deteriorating condition of several single-screen theatres across the Telugu states. One user on X (formerly Twitter) remarked, “Guntur Naaz complex lo kuda yeppudu okasari ilane padipotundi (Someday, the ceiling in Naaz theatre, Guntur, will also collapse like this).” Another user wrote, “Producers keep saying they need to take care of single screens. Now it’s not just theatres—audiences also have to protect themselves.”
Narang reiterated the ongoing challenges of running single-screen theatres. “We are running theatres without revenues, which is quite difficult. Despite poor footfalls, we are maintaining theatres with utmost care,” he concluded.
