LONDON: Actress Uma Thurman still has strong memories of an encounter in Delhi with the legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, whose jokes made her younger brother cry. According to contactmusic.com, Thurman and her brother were attending the American School in Delhi when Ali paid a visit in 1979. He made a joke then that left Thurman’s brother crying.

She recalled: “There must’ve been 500 kids in the bleachers (seats) and on the ground around Ali as he spoke in the gymnasium. (He asked) ‘What makes the sun shine? What makes the flowers bloom?’ My little brother raised his hand. Figuring what was expected of him, he said, ‘God.’ Muhammad Ali said: ‘Kid, you ain’t as dumb as you look.’ And my little brother, as I watched from across the gymnasium, burst into tears. He was too young to get Ali’s humour. All he heard was, ‘You look dumb.’ Of course, Muhammad Ali didn’t mean to make him cry. But sometimes you’re just not aware that you’re Muhammad Ali and that a seven-year-old is not old enough to understand.”