Ahead of his birthday on January 8, actor Yash, in an Instagram post, requested fans to exercise caution and steer clear of celebratory gestures that might put their and others' lives in danger.
Writing that the "expression of love" from his fans should not be in the form of "grand gestures and gatherings," the KGF star said it's "time for us to change our language of love, especially when it comes to the celebration of my birthday. The greatest gift for me is knowing you are safe, setting positive examples, achieving your goals, and spreading joy."
Wishing fans ahead of the New Year and informing them that he won't be in town for his birthday as he would be busy shooting for his upcoming film, the 38-year-old actor thanked fans for all the love they have showered on him through the years and added it is also a "time for reflection, resolution and charting a new course."
It's evident the post, which mentions "some unfortunate incidents", is referring to a tragic situation that happened earlier this year when three of his fans lost their lives while preparing a large cutout of the star. The incident, which occurred when the cutout came in contact with an electric wire, also caused injuries to three others.
Yash is in the middle of filming Geetu Mohandas' Toxic: A Fairytale For Grown-ups, supposedly a gangster drama, produced jointly by him and Venkat K Narayana under the banners KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations.
In the past, India has witnessed numerous instances of freak accidents where fans had put themselves in danger and lost their lives while indulging in grand gestures to celebrate their idols' birthdays or movie releases.
It has only been weeks since the horrifying Pushpa 2 stampede death that triggered a major debate on ensuring the safety of fans in public spaces and the need for celebrities and police officials to take precautionary measures ahead of a large gathering.
Last year, there were separate incidents where fans of big South Indian superstars died while celebrating their birthdays and movie releases.
In December 2023, a Prabhas fan died of electric shock when the iron frame of the Salaar banner he was working on came in contact with a live wire.
In July 2023, two Suriya fans, both undergraduate students, died of electrocution while putting up a banner to celebrate the actor's birthday in Andhra Pradesh.
In January 2023, a 19-year-old Ajith fan from Chennai fell off a moving lorry after losing his balance while dancing and died in the hospital after suffering a fracture to the spinal cord. He was celebrating the release of the actor's Thunivu.
In September 2020, three Pawan Kalyan fans died of electrocution while erecting birthday banners for the actor-turned-politician in Andhra Pradesh.
In August 2019, a Prabhas fan died of electrocution and the resultant fall while fixing a banner of Saaho on a theatre building.
In June 2015, a fan of Sudeep died of electrocution while carrying the actor's hoarding during a release-day procession.
