At a deeply personal and nostalgic public appearance in Bengaluru, superstar Rajinikanth revisited his long-standing connection with Karnataka, admitting that while years in Tamil Nadu may have distanced him from speaking Kannada fluently, the language and the city that shaped him remain close to his heart.
The actor was speaking at the 45th anniversary celebrations of the Art of Living Foundation and the 70th birthday celebrations of spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at the Art of Living International Ashram on the outskirts of Bengaluru. Videos from the event have since gone viral across social media, with many viewers struck by Rajinikanth’s humility and candid reflections.
“I lived in Bengaluru for 25 years. This is where I worked as a bus conductor before entering cinema. Everyone knows that story,” Rajinikanth said, drawing loud applause from the crowd. “Later, I moved to Chennai, and I have now been living in Tamil Nadu for 52 years. Because of that, I’ve lost the touch of Kannada. There’s no one there to speak the language with me regularly. But I have not forgotten Kannada.”
The statement carried emotional weight in Karnataka, where Rajinikanth’s early years, from his days with the Bangalore Transport Service to his rise as one of Indian cinema’s biggest stars, remain an integral part of his identity.
Speaking about his connection to the Art of Living Ashram, the actor recalled arriving there once for what was meant to be a two-day visit, only to stay for over two weeks. “The greenery, the lake, the smiling people. The place had a different energy,” he said, adding with a laugh that one of the horses at the ashram was named “Rajini.”
He also shared a moment that, according to him, transformed his understanding of fame and ego. Recounting an earlier visit with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar among thousands of devotees, Rajinikanth admitted he expected people to crowd around him for photographs and autographs. “But not a single person even turned to look at me,” he said. “No one asked for a photo, no autograph, no conversation. That experience crushed my ego completely.”
For the actor, the moment became a lesson in perspective. “The stardom we get as actors comes and goes,” he reflected. “But spiritual stardom is permanent. "