Rajinikanth reveals why he fell at the feet of Yogi Adityanath

A day after the video of superstar Rajinikanth falling at the feet of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath went viral, the actor said it was his habit of seeking blessings from sanyasis and yogis by falling at their feet.

"It is my habit to fall at the feet of sanyasis or yogis even if they are younger to me by age,” Rajinikanth clarified to the media persons, as he arrived at the Chennai airport. His response comes at a time when the video went viral in Tamil Twitter or X, triggering mixed responses in the social media, saying it is against self-respect and social justice. While his fans supported him on social media, saying it was an act of spirituality, his detractors called his act as letting down of self-respect.

Known to be a man with hard spiritual beliefs, Rajinikanth visited the Himalayas to offer prayers after the success of his latest film, Jailer, directed by Nelson Dilip Kumar. He also met several monks and spiritual leaders in Haridwar. Later he came down to Lucknow to call on Adityanath. He had left Chennai on August 9 and was on a spiritual tour for the past 10 days.

However, Rajinikanth's visit to call on Yogi and then Akhilesh Yadav had created a buzz in the political circles in Tamil Nadu, particularly the BJP. Sources say that Rajini chose to call on Adityanath as the equations in the top leadership may see changes close to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Also it is said that Rajinikanth who decided not to get into active politics may voice support for the Hindutva forces in the ensuing elections.

After his earlier films like Annaththe bombed at the box office, the 72-year-old was looking for a breakthrough in his career through Jailer. Sun Pictures had bankrolled the blockbuster, which had grossed over Rs 450 crore since its release on August 10.