Incident at 'Pushpa 2' screening in Gwalior: Canteen owner bites man over food bill dispute

A violent altercation during the screening of Pushpa 2 at Kajal Talkies in Phalka Bazar, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, resulted in a man’s ear being bitten off by a canteen staff member.

The incident occurred on December 10 and has drawn attention because of its similarity to a scene from the film where the protagonist, Pushpa, fights back by biting his enemies.

Indian media reported that the altercation began during the intermission when the victim, Shabbir Khan, got into an argument with canteen staff members Raju, Chandan, and MA Khan over a food bill. The disagreement escalated into a physical fight, with one of the staff members reportedly biting Shabbir Khan’s ear, causing significant bleeding.

Shabbir Khan was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he underwent minor surgery and received eight stitches to his ear.

Following the incident, Shabbir Khan filed a complaint at Inderganj Police Station, and a case was registered under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Sections 294 (obscene acts), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), and 34 (common intention).

The crime has been compared to a scene in Pushpa 2, where Allu Arjun’s character, bound by his hands and legs, bites his enemies to escape. Shabbir Khan later spoke about the influence of media, particularly films like Pushpa 2, which he believes encourage ordinary people to imitate gangster-like behaviour.

The police have assured that an investigation is underway. The incident comes as Pushpa 2 continues to break multiple box office records, grossing over $94.5 million globally during its extended opening weekend.