Australian umpire Daryl Harper, who officiated in his 100th one-day international in Harare Wednesday, is a staunch fan of anything Indian - gulab jamuns, Shah Rukh Khan-starrer "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai", the Taj Mahal, and "bright and cheerful cricketers".

"I enjoy watching Hindi movies, although they all seem to have a beautiful girl who is forbidden by her parents to see a handsome young man. Eventually, they must run away to have happiness," said Harper, currently officiating in the ongoing one-day triangular series, involving India, New Zealand and hosts Zimbabwe.

The 53-year-old umpire, whose 100th ODI was the New Zealand-Zimbabwe league match, said Shah Rukh Khan-Kajol-starrer "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" was the bets Indian film he has seen.

"My favourite movie is Kutch Kutch, Hort Ahaya...or something like that," Harper, who has also officiated in 51 Tests, wrote in an e-mail reply.

The affable Harper said he was also learning about Indian customs and traditions.

"I enjoy reading the morning papers - and learning about the wonderful customs and traditions of India," he said.

And when he saw the Taj Mahal it mesmerised him so much that he has decided to take his wife to Agra, near Delhi, some day.

"I loved seeing the Taj Mahal a few years ago and promised my wife that I would take her there one day because it is such an awe-inspiring sight," he said.

Harper is also fast picking up Hindi words like suprabhat (good morning), namaste (hello), phir milenge (see you soon) - and his favourite shabash-shabash (keep it up).

"I'm not sure about how to spell these words but I remember phir milenge, shukriya (thanks), shu-pro bhart, khoobsurat (beautiful) and namaste," he disclosed.

Gulab jamuns are the affable Australian's favourite Indian sweet dish.

"I can't eat many Indian foods because I find them to be too hot and spicy for my stomach. But I do enjoy the sweet desserts and my No. 1 favourite is those beautiful sweet goolab jammans," he revealed.

"I first enjoyed them when the team was playing in Sharjah in the year 2000. I love them," he admitted.

Always wearing a friendly smile, whether on the field or off it, the Adelaide-based Harper loves a chat even while officiating in matches - a trait that has endeared him to virtually everyone who crosses his path.

Harper would not pick his favourite Indian cricketer because he likes interacting with all of them.

"The Indian cricketers are usually bright and cheerful and show respect for officials and the game. They are all very good ambassadors for their country," he said.

"Virender Sehwag has a great sense of humour, Irfan Pathan has a cheeky grin, Yuvraj Singh teases me about eating too many goolab jammans, Ashish Nehra calls me 'Mr. Harper' and seems to bowl better every time I see him," he wrote, probably referring to Nehra's fine spell against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo last week.

All in all, Harper, a former schoolteacher, is simply floored by Indians' obsession for cricket.

"I love the passion for cricket that the people show at the hotels where I stay, in the streets and at the grounds. I enjoy it when people in the streets speak to me about cricket," he said, baring his heart.

Harper is also a staunch fan of Aussie-rules football and baseball and is a member of three prominent Australian clubs of these sports. He watches matches when in Australia and follows them on the Internet when away.

These days Harper, when at home in Adelaide, is teaching the nuances of Aussie-rules football to an Indian boy from Vellore, Tamil Nadu.

"We are encouraging Rohan to support our team in Adelaide by providing him with socks and scarf in club colours. He likes the sport but is still learning the rules," he said.

Another trait of this unique umpire is that he has his own website, and he himself updates/maintains it after each match at night.