Rajinikanth has long been known as a witty and engaging orator, often captivating audiences with his speeches at star-studded events. And one can always expect the star to deliver his lines with ample servings of humour. Speaking at spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's recent event, the he recalled how his earlier visit to the Art of Living proved to be an eye-opening experience, one that even “crushed his ego” as a star actor.
"After the Himalayas, I really enjoy living in this ashram, thanks to the lush greenery. It has lakes, cows and so many animals living inside, and somehow everyone is always smiling. I planned to stay for two days, but ended up extending it for 15 days. One evening, during an auspicious day, gurudev told me that he is going to give darshan to the thousands of devotees who had come to see him. He had asked me to come with him," Rajinikanth recollected.
"I hesitated to come with him and told him that it would disturb his darshan. He insisted, and I came. I thought many would swarm around me, asking me for autographs and photos. I saw a lot of Tamil people also. To be frank with you, and I am not lying here, not even a single person looked at me," he said, prompting huge cheers and laughs from the audience.
“I waved ‘Hi,’ but nobody even looked at me. I’ve attended many events, but this one crushed my ego. When we returned, Gurudev asked me, ‘There was no disturbance, right?’ and I folded my hands before him. That is the power of spirituality,” he added, reflecting on how stardom is fleeting, while spirituality keeps people grounded.
On the work front, Rajinikanth recently wrapped up filming for Jailer 2. The Nelson-directorial will also see the return of Muthuvel Pandian's wife, played by Ramya Krishnan, and his daughter-in-law Mirnaa. The reprisal of Shivarajkumar's and Mohanlal's cameo appearances in the sequel has also been confirmed. New names added to the ensemble this time around include Jatin Sarna, Mithun Chakraborty, Santhanam, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Vijay Sethupathi, Meghana Raj Sarja and Anna Rajan.
He will also star alongside Kamal Haasan in the much-anticipated KH x RK, also helmed by Nelson which sees the stars return on screen after four decades. Meanwhile, Kamal is also producing a film starring Rajinikanth and directed by Don fame Cibi Chakravarthy.
