Superstar Rajinikanth returned to Chennai on Tuesday after attending the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla idol in Ayodhya on January 22. He was accompanied by his wife, Latha Rajinikanth, brother Sathyanarayana Rao and his grandson, Linga. At the airport, the actor spoke to the media and shared his experience of visiting the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. He also reacted to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony being touted as a political event.

Rajinikanth was seated with the other dignitaries in the first row at the Pran Pratishtha ceremony. He was among the first few people to get the ‘darshan’ of the Ram Lalla idol. India Today reported the actor as saying, “I had a great darshan. After the Ram temple was opened, I was among the first 150 people to witness [the Ram Lalla idol], and it gave me immense happiness.”

While some people called the inauguration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya a political event, Rajinikanth said, “For me, this is spirituality and not politics. Everyone can have different opinions, and it doesn’t have to match every time.”

Rajinikanth was joined by many other film celebrities at the Ram Mandir inauguration including Ram Charan, Chiranjeevi, Dhanush, Amitabh Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal and Katrina Kaif.

After the inauguration of the temple, the Superstar promised to visit the temple annually and called it a “historic” event. A video clip from the ceremony also surfaced on social media which had PM Modi seemingly asking if the megastar was doing well, to which he responded with his hands that he was fine.

Earlier, director Pa Ranjith had commented on Rajinikanth attending Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony. He said, “"It's his choice to go to the Ram temple. But he stated that this is a conclusion to a 500-year-old problem. We have to question the politics behind it. I have a critique of his opinion beyond whether he is right or wrong." He is implying the demolition of Babri Masjid and the communal violence behind it. Ranjith and Rajinikanth have worked together in 'Kabali' and 'Kaala' earlier.”