After much anticipation and hype, Devara, starring 'Man of Masses' Jr NTR released in theatres on September 27, Friday, however, it witnessed an unpleasant start in Hyderabad. A massive cut-out of the Tollywood star was set on fire by an unruly mob, alarming the locals and authorities of the region.

Scary visuals of the shocking incident have now gone viral online in which a massive cut-out of Jr NTR, erected outside the Sudharshan Theatre in Hyderabad can be seen being lapped up in flames. As per reports, excited fans were bursting crackers outside the theatre to celebrate the release of Devara and that is when the cut-out caught fire.

Hundreds of fans had gathered at the spot and as the cut-out was set ablaze, the crowd went berserk, trying to escape the area. Local authorities and fire brigade rushed to the spot and they were fortunately able to douse the fire before it spread to other parts of the theatre.

No injuries have been reported, but authorities have now asked people to not gather and burst crackers outside theatres to avoid any untoward incident.

Devara released in theatres on Friday and it opened to mixed review from the masses. The film also marks the Telugu debut of Janhvi Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan.

Recently, a pre-release event of the film in Hyderabad also had to be cancelled last minute after a massive crowd thronged the venue resulting into chaos and overcrowding. Jr NTR had later expressed his disappointment and had stated, "I enjoy spending time with you and sharing many interesting details about Devara. I was excited to share many details about Devara and explain the efforts put into the film. But, the event couldn’t happen due to security reasons. I share your disappointment. My pain is more than yours."

"In my opinion, it is wrong to blame the producers or organizers for the cancellation of the event," he added.