Hugs Galore as Superstar Rajinikanth Meets ‘Old Friend’ Akhilesh Yadav

Lucknow: South Indian superstar Rajinikanth grabbed headlines when he met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow and touched his feet on Saturday. Rajinikanth, currently on a spiritual tour, took a break from temple visits to screen his film ‘Jailer’ for Adityanath and Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya.

The next day, Rajinikanth met Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, whom he referred to as a “friend of nine years” and shared a warm hug. Yadav expressed his admiration for Rajinikanth’s films from his college days and highlighted their longstanding friendship.

जब दिल मिलते हैं तो लोग गले मिलते हैं।

मैसूर में इंजीनियरिंग की पढ़ाई के दौरान पर्दे पर रजनीकांत जी को देखकर जितनी ख़ुशी होती थी वो आज भी बरकरार है। हम 9 साल पहले व्यक्तिगत रूप से मिले और तब से दोस्ती है… pic.twitter.com/e9KZrc5mNH

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) August 20, 2023

Rajinikanth clarified that his visit to Yadav’s residence was purely as a friend, recalling their initial meeting at an event in Mumbai nine years ago. Netizens criticized Rajinikanth for touching Adityanath’s feet, but he expressed that the meeting was a positive experience.

Rajinikanth’s spiritual journey took him to various temples and shrines, including the revered Badrinath Dham in Uttarakhand, before he headed to the Rajrappa temple in Jharkhand. He plans to visit the Ayodhya Ram Temple to pay his respects to Lord Ram.