'We have been friends for 9 yrs': Rajinikanth after meeting SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 20 (ANI): Tamil actor Rajinikanth on Sunday expressed his happiness after meeting with Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav at his residence in Lucknow and said that they have been friends for nine years. 

Talking to the reporters, after meeting the SP chief, Rajinikanth said, "I met Akhilesh Yadav around nine years ago at a function in Mumbai, and we have been friends since then. We talk on the phone. 5 years ago, I had come here for a shoot but couldn't meet him. Now he is here, so I met him." 
Sharing a photo of their meet, Akhilesh Yadav on his social media platform 'X', (formerly Twitter), posted, "When hearts meet, people embrace. During my engineering studies in Mysore, the happiness I used to feel seeing Rajinikanth ji on the screen is still intact. We met in person 9 years back and have been friends ever since…" 
Rajinikanth also met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at his residence in Lucknow on Saturday. 
The actor arrived in the city on Friday night for the screening of his film ‘Jailer’, which was attended by UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya. 
Meanwhile, Rajinikanth expressed his excitement about the kind of positive response his film is getting from the audience and its success. “...It’s God’s blessing that the movie is becoming a hit,” he told ANI. 
Earlier, Rajinikanth was in Ranchi, Jharkhand. He also visited the famous Chhinnamasta Temple in the state on Friday and offered prayers. He spent an hour meditating at 'Yagoda Ashram' in Ranchi. This was followed by his meeting with Jharkhand Governor C P Radhakrishnan at the Raj Bhavan.
UP Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya praised the actor for his acting skills and said, “I also got a chance to watch a film titled ‘Jailer’. I had watched Rajinikanth’s many films and he is such a talented actor that even though there is not much content in the movie still he with his performance, he increases the importance of the film.”
'Jailer,' which was released in theatres on August 10, has grabbed the box office by storm. In India, the film's eight-day total collection stood at Rs 235.65 crore (as of August 17). The film was released in several languages, including Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi.
Rajinikanth plays a man seeking to avenge the death of his cop son in ‘Jailer’. Mohanlal, Shivarajkumar, and Jackie Shroff are in important cameos. (ANI)