Superstar Rajinikanth on Thursday requested one and all to read books of all sorts to gain knowledge. 'The more you read books, the more your intellect gets improved,' the numero uno star of Tamil film industry said.

Rajini was speaking at a function organised to felicitate popular writer S Ramakrishnan, who has been selected for a coveted honour. 'I studied only up to 10th standard. But I gained knowledge only by reading books,' Rajini said.

Urging publications and media houses to pay more to writers, the Superstar said, 'Only if writers and journalists are paid good remuneration, they could come out with quality work. Also, more would get attracted towards the field,' he said.

Recalling his association with Ramakrishnan, Rajini said, 'When I wanted to write my autobiography a decade back, I sought Ramakrishnan's help. He too came and stayed with me for more than a couple of weeks. But the project did not materialise since I feared my autobiography would hurt some persons.'