No, video doesn't show 'massive crowd at Maha Vikas Aghadi rally' in Maharashtra

What is the claim?

A 45-second video showing a large crowd gathered in an open space, overlooking a stage with a big screen, has gone viral with the claim that it depicts a meeting of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)—a state-level political coalition formed after the 2019 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election—at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai, Maharashtra. 

The aerial shots in the viral video, which appear to have been filmed with a drone, show people climbing tower-like structures with loud music playing in the background.

An X user shared the video with a Marathi caption that roughly translates to, “Witness the crowd of lakhs at the Maha Vikas Aghadi meeting in BKC! People are showing faith, coming together, and taking a firm step towards a brighter future for Maharashtra.” 

Another user wrote, "Crowd throngs MVA rally at BKC in Mumbai | Overview of the meeting recorded by a drone." Archived versions of these and other posts are available here, here, here, here, and here.

Screenshots of similar claims posted on social media. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

The claim surfaced ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, with voting set to take place on November 20, followed by the counting of votes on November 23.

However, our investigation found that the visuals actually show a gathering in Gandhi Maidan, Patna, in the Indian state of Bihar, to watch the trailer launch of 'Pushpa 2: The Rule,' an upcoming Indian Telugu-language film.

What are the facts?

A reverse image search using keyframes from the viral video led to multiple news reports and videos confirming that the footage shows the trailer launch of 'Pushpa 2: The Rule,' starring Indian actor Allu Arjun. 

A YouTube video (archived here), streamed live on November 17, 2024, by the movie promotional agency YouWe Media, titled “Pushpa 2 - The Rule Massive Trailer Launch Event LIVE,” features visuals similar to the viral footage, confirming it shows the same event.

The initial 8 seconds of the viral video can be observed in the YouWe Media video between the 5:25 and 5:33 timestamps, which shows an aerial view of a crowd with some individuals climbing atop tower-like structures. 

Comparison of the live-streamed video of the trailer launch event at Patna with the viral video. (Source: YouTube/YouWe Media/X/Modified by Logically Facts)

Additionally, the segment of the viral video from 9 to 23 seconds, in which the camera moves from the rear of the venue toward the front, where the big screen at the center shows the text "India’s No. 1" in white, can be seen in the live-streamed YouTube video between the 6:44 and 6:54 timestamps.

Comparison of the live-streamed video of the trailer launch event at Patna and the viral video. (Source: YouTube/YouWe Media/X/Modified by Logically Facts)

The visuals from the 23-second mark onward in the viral video match footage from the YouTube video between the 7:46-7:52 and 8:17-8:30 timestamps, showing an aerial view of the venue, individuals on top of tower-like structures, and a stage at the front.

Additionally, in the opening moments of the YouWe Media video, the anchor can be heard stating in Hindi (translated), “Pushpa is alive and tonight here at Patna." The video also features a 'Pushpa 2' sticker with the text “Trailer Launch Event” in the left corner.

This confirms that the viral video does not show any political gathering related to the MVA or Maharashtra elections at BKC but rather a movie trailer launch event. 

Multiple reports from news organizations, including The Indian Express and India Today (archived here), further corroborated this, featuring similar visuals from the 'Pushpa 2' trailer launch event. These reports also confirmed that the event was held at Gandhi Maidan in Patna.

The verdict

The viral video depicts the trailer launch of the Indian movie 'Pushpa 2: The Rule,' starring Allu Arjun, in Patna, Bihar. It is unrelated to any MVA or political gathering in Maharashtra.