Hyderabad: The recent meeting between Rajinikanth and Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, in Lucknow has sparked debate online. The actor touching CM Yogi's feet sparked a discussion on social media, drawing criticism for his act. The South superstar has since responded to the criticism and clarified the air.
As he arrived in Chennai, Rajinikanth addressed the media and gave an explanation of why he had touched Yogi's feet. He claimed that touching the feet of Yogis or Sanyasis was a practise of his. The actor was reported as stating, "Even if they are younger than me, I always touch the feet of Yogis or Sanyasis and ask for their blessings."
The act enraged netizens after UP CM shared a photo of himself with Rajinikanth. In a tweet, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wrote, "Courtesy meeting with eminent film actor Mr. Rajinikanth at my official residence in Lucknow today." The actor met the political leader as he embarked on a spiritual journey.
Rajinikanth flew to the Himalayas for a spiritual retreat one day before Jailer was released. He then went to the Rajarappa and Kedarnath temples, among others. The actor spent many days travelling from Uttarakhand to Ranchi and then on to Uttar Pradesh. After visiting CM Yogi at his home, the celebrity also visited Akhilesh Yadav, the head of the Samajwadi Party, at his home in Lucknow.
The Darbar actor has a custom of travelling to the tranquil Himalayas for a spiritual retreat before the release of each of his movies. The actor picked up from where he had left on his spiritual path after taking a long pause owing to health issues and the epidemic. Despite the backlash over the picture with CM Yogi Adityanath, Rajinikanth has been basking in the success of his latest release Jailer.
The box office for Rajinikanth's Jailer is exploding. The action-drama grossed Rs 500 crore at the box office, making it Rajinikanth's second film to do so after Robot 2.0. The film was the superstar's first theatrical release in two years, and it received a massive reception. The film is directed by Nelson Dilipkumar and stars Mohanlal, Shiva Rajkumar, Jackie Shroff, and Tamannaah Bhatia in key roles.
