Actor Rajinikanth attended the 70th birthday celebrations of spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and the 45th anniversary of the Art of Living ashram in Bengaluru, where he delivered a reflective address.
In his speech, Rajinikanth urged people not to waste the “greatness of human life.” He also spoke about his personal connection to Karnataka, saying he was born and raised there, and that while he does not get many chances to speak Kannada after moving to Chennai years ago, he has not forgotten the language.
Recalling his first visit to the ashram, he said he was struck by its beauty and the happiness on people’s faces. What began as a short stay, he said, turned into 15 days. He also mentioned that one of the horses at the ashram is named “Rajini.”
Rajinikanth narrated an incident where he accompanied Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to meet thousands of devotees and expected the usual celebrity attention. Instead, he said, no one noticed him—even when he waved—an experience he described as crushing his ego. He said it showed the power of spirituality, adding that while film fame comes and goes, spiritual reverence endures, and he considers Sri Sri Ravi Shankar a rare and valuable guru.
