Rajinikanth once ‘looked down’ on vegetarians. Today, Jailer 2 superstar’s vegetarian diet keeps him fit at 75. Co-star reveals: ‘He avoids spicy food, sugar…'

Jailer 2 has made box-office history. Upon release, Rajinikanth’s film earned Rs 59 crore on day one, thereby becoming the year’s biggest Tamil opener, overtaking Jana Nayagan (Rs 42 crore). Leading man Rajinikanth wowed the audience as he appeared at peak fitness and agility. Even at 75, the Thalaivar remains impressive when it comes to being fit and energetic. In a recent interview, his Jailer 2 co-star Mirnaa Menon revealed what she observed about the superstar’s diet and lifestyle. She told Cinema Vikatan that the superstar often remained active and worked out even when there were no gym facilities.

“I like the fact that he wakes up and works out and then comes to the set. He always follows a strict diet and regular routine. He does swimming and treadmill running. In many places where we were shooting, there were no gym facilities. So, he made sure his workout equipment was in his room,” she said.

She said she heard that the actor avoided spicy or oily food. He also avoided white foods such as milk, curd, white rice and sugar. “He follows a plain diet,” she said.

Rajinikanth Follows A Vegetarian Diet

Rajinikanth became a vegetarian in 2014 due to health reasons. He once credited his wife, Latha, for making him give up smoking and having a non-veg diet. In an event hosted by his brother-in-law, actor-playwright YG Mahendra, the Robot star, said, “When I was a bus conductor, due to the friendship of some wrong guys, I had many bad habits. I used to eat mutton twice a day. I used to drink daily, and I don’t know how many cigarettes I smoked. After coming to the cinema, with money and fame, imagine how much these would have increased.”

“Daily morning I wanted to eat mutton paya, appam, and chicken. I used to look down upon vegetarians. I used to wonder what they actually ate. Honestly, cigarettes, alcohol, and meat are a dangerous combination. Those who do all this without a limit have not lived healthily even till 60. Many have faced so many health issues before they turned 60,” he added.

According to a Business Standard report, the superstar prefers fresh home-cooked meals to eating out, and his diet has plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts. He also avoids processed food, dairy, sugar and fast food.

A lot of stars from the South are vegetarians. Aside from Rajinikanth, Ranjhana star Dhanush, Madhavan, Kajal Aggarwal, Shriya Saran are some stars who follow a vegetarian diet, as per a Times of India report.