Fresh off the release of the extremely successful Kantara: Chapter 1, Rishab Shetty recently weighed in on the Karur stampede incident at actor-politician Vijay's rally, which led to the demise of 41 people.

Speaking to NDTV, Rishab Shetty shared his two cents on hero worship and referred to the tragic incident as a "collective mistake". When asked about star worship and fan craze that led to the accident, the actor-director said, "If we like a hero or his character, we do hero worship. How can I comment on that (the stampede)? It's unfortunate when these accidents happen; around 40 people died there.”

Rishab, also clearly stating that he won't be able to comment much on the incident, said that it was an unintentional accident. “I don't think it could be 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. We should take precautions. But who will control a mob? How can I comment on that? We can easily blame the police or government; they also have a responsibility. But sometimes they will also have trouble (controlling the crowd),” he explained.

The tragedy took place on September 27 in Tamil Nadu's Karur district, where 41 people, including women and children, lost their lives, with several others injured and still under treatment. Vijay has promised a compensation of Rs 20 lakhs to the families of the deceased and Rs 2 lakhs for those injured. He also spoke to the affected parties via video call on Tuesday.

Rishab Shetty's Kantara: Chapter 1 not only opened to critical acclaim but has also earned Rs 400 crores at the box office within a week. It now stands among a select few Indian blockbusters ruling the global box office in 2025, alongside Chhaava, Coolie, and Saiyaara.