Rishab Shetty reacts to tragedy at Vijay’s rally, calls it a 'collective mistake’

Kannada actor and filmmaker Rishab Shetty has addressed the tragic stampede at Tamil actor-politician Vijay’s rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu, describing the incident as a “collective mistake” rather than an individual failure.

Speaking to NDTV, Shetty reflected on the culture of hero worship in Indian cinema and said such tragedies often highlight the blurred lines between admiration and mass frenzy.

“It’s A Collective Mistake”

When asked about the recent stampede that claimed 41 lives during Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) political rally, Rishab Shetty said,

“If we like a hero or his character, we do hero worship. How can I comment on that? It’s unfortunate when such accidents happen; around 40 people died there.”

He added that he does not believe any one individual should be blamed, calling the tragedy a collective failure.

“I don’t think it was one person’s mistake. Maybe it was a collective mistake made by many. Maybe it could have been controlled — that’s why we call it an accident. It was not intentional,” he said.

Shetty also pointed out that while law enforcement and organisers have a responsibility to manage crowds, large-scale gatherings often become difficult to control.

“We can easily blame the police or the government — they do have responsibility. But sometimes they also face trouble controlling a mob,” he explained.

The Karur Stampede Tragedy

The Karur stampede, which took place on September 27, occurred during Vijay’s visit as part of a statewide political outreach ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

Authorities said nearly 30,000 people gathered at a venue meant for 10,000, leading to overcrowding and chaos. The tragedy left 41 people dead and more than 60 injured.

Following the incident, Vijay announced a compensation of ₹20 lakh for each victim’s family and ₹2 lakh for the injured. He also spoke with some of the affected families via video call, expressing grief and solidarity.

Kantara box office collection

Meanwhile, Rishab Shetty's movie, Kantara Chapter 1, has taken the box office by storm. The movie, despite a 50 per cent dip in earnings on Monday, crossed the ₹250 crore mark, and is now headed towards achieving another milestone — the ₹300 crore mark.

Not only did the movie witness a record-breaking opening weekend, but it also scored the all-time biggest first Monday in Karnataka, surpassing Baahubali 2. It also beat Yash-fronted KGF Chapter 2 for the biggest opening weekend ever in the state.