Celebrated lyricist Javed Akhtar and legendary boxer Muhammad Ali have something in common--they share their birthdays on Monday.

Javed Akhtar turns 66 while Muhammad Ali turns 69 on Jan 17.

"Thank you all .thank you very much for your wishes and compliments. I am really touched and overwhelmed," tweeted Javed Akhtar.

Akhtar has mesmerised his fans by his evergreen lyrics like "Ek Ladki Ko Dekha..." in 1942-A Love Story, "Ghar Se Nikalte Hi..." for Papa Kahte Hain, "Sandese Aate Hain...." for Border, "Panchhi Nadiyan Pawan Ke Jhonke..." for Refugee, "Radha Kaise Na Jale" for Lagaan, "Kal Ho Na Ho" for Kal Ho Na Ho , "Tere Liye..." for Veer-Zaara and "Jashn-e-Bahara" for Jodhaa Akbar, in his long career.

He was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1999 and received the Padma Bhushan in 2007.