Dilshaan se

Sri Lankan batting spearhead Tillakaratne Dilshan, who almost snatched the first ODI from Indians at Rajkot by smacking 160 off mere 124 balls, believes in mind games.
“A riotous start is very vital. You should not give bowlers a chance to understand your shot execution,” said the vivacious opener in an exclusive chat. The passionate cricketer, who is married to Lankan actress Manjula Thilini (they got married in Delhi), loves spending time watching Hindi films and writing scripts for Lankan films.We guess that’s Manjula’s influence on him. As we get talking, we asked Dilshan a few Qs... and here’s what he said...
Tell us something about your bond with India?
It’s a lovely country. I love being here. Another thing that pulls me here is the diverse Indian film industry. My wife Manjula too is an actor, so the bond has strengthened with the passage of time.
Do you like Indian movies?
Yes, and Hrithik Roshan is my favourite actor. His dance moves are amazing. I wish I had such a flexible body. A few days back I saw Paa and I want to congratulate Amitabh Bachchan for his wonderful role. I’ve watched many Hindi movies. When I am not playing, I watch Hindi films. I can understand Hindi - quite a lot of it, if not completely.
You admire any other actor besides Hrithik?
I like Shah Rukh Khan and Akshay Kumar. I’ve met Akshay when he was the brand ambassador for the Delhi IPL team. Among actresses, Aishwarya Rai (Bachchan) and Madhuri Dixit (Nene) are my favourite.
Cricketers and film stars share a deep bond. How will you react to it?
I don’t know much about India, but yes, these are two fields where the performers admire each other.
Any acting plans?
I am not ruling that out. Maybe, I will get on with that once I leave cricket. I am more of a behind-the-scenes person. I have been writing scripts for Lankan films since long. I have scripted plots for more than 10 films.
You got married in Delhi. How did that happen?
I had met Manjula once. Things started happening between us and then one fine day we deiced to get married. I was in Delhi so we thought why not get married in a city which we both love.
Any other role you’d want to fit into?
I want to promote peace. The attacks that happened in Pakistan on Lankan team left me shattered. Now, I want to make an NGO for promoting peace. I will rope in some actors and cricketers for the task. And my next destination would be India from where I will find volunteers to start the peace mission.
Lastly, what is your style statement?
Style comes naturally to me. I try to do different things. Though I don’t get much time, I keep changing my beard styles.
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