He is a versatile film star, a member of the Indian rugby team, has worked in the tsunami-ravaged Andaman and Nicobar Islands and, come October, he will run in the Delhi Half Marathon to raise funds for an NGO.

Well-known actor Rahul Bose, whose film "Kaalpurush" is being screened at the Toronto Film Festival, calls himself an "innate" sports lover.

"It's (love for sports) innate. The kind of upbringing I have had, both at home and school, encouraged me to play sports. I am a sports crazy guy," Bose told IANS here.

"But when it comes to doing something that involves sports as well as a good cause, like the (Delhi) marathon, it's great to be a part of that cause," the 38-year-old said before leaving for Italy en route to Toronto.

Bose, who raised Rs.100,000 during the 2005 Mumbai Marathon, said running comes naturally to him.

"All you have to do is run and raise money. What could be simpler than that? You just have to run for a cause," said the diminutive actor, whose runaway hits include "English August" and "Jhankar Beats".

Bose got hooked to sports while attending the Cathedral School in Mumbai and played almost all his sports there.

"I played every sport at school - squash, badminton, table tennis, hockey, track and field, gymnastics, football, cricket, which was my second best sport, and of course, rugby. I represented my school in about eight or nine events and took that passion to college," he pointed out.

It was, however, rugby that caught Bose's imagination more than anything else - perhaps second only to dramatics.

"I learnt rugby there. And thanks to that (passion), I have been playing for India for about eight years," said Bose, who starred in "Chameli", along with Kareena Kapoor.

"I have just finished playing two Test matches in India against Kazakhstan and Malaysia (in June) - and that has been continuing. I have played about 15 internationals," said the actor-player, who has played in Thailand, Indonesia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Bose said he makes it a point to take a few months off from his film schedule to play rugby.

"In a year, I take about two to three months off. During May and June, I take off to train with the Indian team and play," he said.