KORAPUT: A major mishap was averted at Ashok Talkies in the district headquarters town of Rayagada on Friday evening after a minor fire broke out during the screening of Rebel Star Prabhas’s much-awaited film The Raja Saab, triggering brief panic among moviegoers.The incident occurred during the evening show when fans were celebrating the film’s release inside the cinema hall. According to sources, some fans performed an aarti in front of the screen as South Indian superstar Prabhas made his grand entry on screen. During the ritual, the aarti plate reportedly slipped from someone’s hand and fell on papers lying near the screen, causing them to catch fire.

“There was a sudden flash of fire, which created panic for a few minutes,” said a cinema-goer present during the show. “However, the situation was quickly brought under control.”Cinema hall staff, along with alert audience members, acted promptly to douse the flames. “Our staff responded immediately and ensured the fire was extinguished without delay,” said a staff member of Ashok Talkies, adding that all safety measures were followed.No injuries or damage were reported in the incident. “Everyone inside the hall is safe. The situation was fully under control within minutes, and the screening resumed normally after a brief disruption,” a theatre official said.Meanwhile, police have advised moviegoers to avoid unsafe celebratory practices inside cinema halls.“Though no injury was reported, moviegoers are urged to refrain from such unsafe celebratory practices,” said Prasanna Behera, IIC Rayagada town police station.Directed and written by Maruthi, The Raja Saab stars Prabhas in the lead, alongside Malavika Mohanan, Nidhhi Agarwal, Riddhi Kumar, Sanjay Dutt and Boman Irani. The film was released on January 9 in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam.