Today is the birthday of international cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan. The Sri Lankan sportsman, who married a Chennai girl, has great affinity for Indians and Indian films, especially those from south India.

This was visible in a recent television chat show when the cricketer expressed his love for Tamil movies. “I am great fan of Superstar Rajinikanth. Trust me, I had watched ‘Sivaji- The Boss’ not less than 15 times.”

“Sivaji is my favourite film of all times,” Muttiah said and added: “The other movie I would like watching all the time is ‘Nayagan’, the Kamal Haasan starrer. Both films are very close to my heart for many reasons.”

Saying he is very fond of Tamil films, the sportsman admitted he will not afford to miss any of the latest releases. “If someone tells me a particular Tamil movie is good, I will surely watch it without giving a miss,” he said.