Eminent film actor Rajinikanth touches the feet of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during a meeting, in Lucknow, Saturday, Aug 19, 2023.
Credit: PTI Photo
“It is my habit to fall at the feet of sanyasis or a Yogi even if they are younger to me by age,” said Tamil superstar Rajinikanth on Monday, commenting on his act of falling at the feet of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at the latter’s official residence in Lucknow.
Rajinikanth’s clarification came as a viral video of him falling at Adityanath’s feet before entering the Chief Minister’s official residence triggered mixed response on social media. While his supporters defended the act saying Rajinikanth, who is deeply spiritual and religious, was right as he considered Adityanath as a yogi, the superstar’s detractors sought to know what happened to his “self-respect.”
In a brief interaction with the media at the Chennai Airport on Monday night, Rajinikanth put an end to the controversy by maintaining it was his long-held practice of respecting a yogi or a sanyasi by falling at their feet.
Tamil Twitter or X has been abuzz with messages criticising and supporting Rajinikanth since Saturday. The actor was on a ten-day tour to north India during which he visited the Himalayas, met several monks in Haridwar, and met political leaders, mostly from the BJP, in Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.
Social media users criticised Rajinikanth for “letting down” his fans in Tamil Nadu, which they called as the “land of self-respect”, by bowing down before a person who is 20 years younger to him. Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) chief Thol Thirumavalavan also criticised Rajinikanth for his act.
The actor left Chennai for north India on August 9, a day before his latest film Jailer hit theatres worldwide. On Monday, he thanked his fans and film goers for making the film a huge success.
Sun Pictures, which bankrolled the movie, has said it has created a record by collecting Rs 375.40 crores in the first week, making it the highest first week total gross collection in the history of Tamil cinema.