A decade or so ago, there was a buzz in the media about actor Jai frequenting dargahs often very much similar to singer Yuvan Shankar Raja. It is noteworthy that Yuvan Shankar had then converted to Islam.
Following suit, Jai too announced his conversion to the abrahamic religion. This change was seemingly seen even before his role in the film Thirumanam Ennum Nikkah where he immersed himself in an Islamic environment in an attempt to woo the heroine.
Cut to 2026, in an interview with film critic Baradwaj Rangan, Jai shared what made him change his religion.
When asked whether he changed his religion because he was going through troubles in life, Jai said, “It is not like that. You mentioned 2016, but I actually started following it with interest from 2011. So, even before that, the change came. There were many things. I have worn mala for Sabarimala. Then I have worn the rosary mala for Jesus and done fasting for one year. For me, I was following everything as ‘all gods are okay.’ But at one time, there were some humiliating experiences, and in some temples there was a kind of unexpected dissatisfaction. Many such things kept happening. Then one time when I went to a mosque, everyone stood in a line and prayed. It was my first time going there, and everyone was praying. Everyone there knew I was an actor, but no one inside the mosque came and spoke to me. Only after coming out, people spoke to me very politely. No one asked to take a photo with me. So I felt, maybe there is an equality here, that everyone is seen as equal. That was the first strong feeling I got. Plus, I realized that for them only God is big; no matter how big a celebrity comes there, they do not treat them as bigger than God. I understood that when we want to ask for what we wish for, they give us space and time to do that. We can pray for whatever we think in our hearts, and no one will say, ‘Enough, stop praying and leave.’ We can pray as long as we want and then go. All this made me feel, this is nice, this is great, it feels like yoga. That is how I initially understood it at that time. Then, as I continued to follow it, even my personal character slowly started to change.”
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It is noteworthy that Jai acted in the Dravidoid propaganda film where he played the role of ‘Farhaan’ and was the heroine Annapoorani, a Brahmin’s bestie. In the film, he eggs the girl to defy her parents’ wishes regarding her choice between studying for an MBA or catering, citing that she should not listen to her parents anymore and should start following her own desires. He even justified meat consumption by “quoting” slokas from Valmiki Ramayana, highlighting instances of Rama, Lakshmana hunting animals in the forest and eating meat with Devi Sita; that Lord Murugan disguised as a hunter (vedan) in one of his avatars, and Kannappa Nayanar offering pork to Lord Shiva. This “convinces” our heroine to touch and taste meat and achieve her goal of becoming a world-class chef.
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