Superstar Rajinikanth attended a special literary event in Chennai on Friday evening to mark the widespread popularity of the book Velpari, written by S. Venkatesan. Speaking as the chief guest, the veteran actor shared insights into his reading habits, expressed admiration for the literary work, and added a touch of humour regarding his presence at such an intellectual gathering.
Rajinikanth remarked that he began reading Velpari following a friend’s recommendation and has completed 25 percent of the book. He stated he plans to finish it after retiring from films. Expressing anticipation for director Shankar’s upcoming cinematic adaptation of the novel, he said he was eagerly looking forward to the project. Reflecting on his reading journey, the actor credited the Ramakrishna Ashram for nurturing his interest in literature and recalled being emotionally moved by a novel written by Jayakanthan. On a lighter note, he quipped that personalities like Sivakumar or Kamal Haasan would be more fitting for such events, joking, “Why invite a 75-year-old man walking in slow motion with cooling glasses?”
On the film front, Rajinikanth is currently working on Coolie and Jailer 2. His next release, Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, is scheduled to hit screens on August 14.
