A a f ( amir Khan Productions, which lagged off with Lagaan completed a decade. And its last three films -Peepli Live (2010), Dhobi Ghat (2011) and now Delhi Belly -have come with an `A' certificate, sparking off speculation that actor-producer Aamir, known for his `clean family entertainers', has switched tracks. He denies it, arguing that a creative person should have the freedom to make the kind of films he believes in. “And I'm a responsible producer. If a film is meant for adults, it should be censored accordingly. Dhobi Ghat was passed with a `U/A' certificate despite a few expletives, but I didn't want parents to come with their eight year olds for it. So I got it re-censored with an `A' certificate knowing that I was reducing my audience by half, perhaps a first in Hindi cinema,“ Aamir informs.
On Delhi Belly, both the censors and he amicably agreed on an `A' certificate, with both parties not comfortable with kids under 18 viewing it.
“My son Junaid can see it but my daughter Ira will have to wait till she's 18,“ he says, pointing out that while other producers tuck away the `A' in a corner, the Delhi Belly print ads have `Adults Only' written prominently across.
The film has `potty' humour, explicit sex scenes, cuss words and a controversial chartbuster, `Bhaag DK Bose...', supposedly inspired by Dolly Bindra's `gaalis' on Bigg Boss. “Yeah it does,“ agrees Aamir, “but there's not that much of `potty', no skin show, some expletives and definitely no Dolly. I'm told she was on some show but I don't watch much TV.“
Imran, one of the lead actors, endorses that and says that within minutes of hearing the song, he knew it would be a “huge hit“ and spark off a “huge controversy“ too.
He reasons, “Anything associated with youth culture that is cool and new-wave has ignited protests, whether it was Elvis and his pelvic thrusts or rock music and its free-love mantra. I wasn't surprised by the attacks on Aamir and the film, but our youthful target audience has connected with the song and the film.“









Aamir Khan and Imran Khan on everything from mamu's best production to bhanja's first haircut, from the 26/7 deluge to item numbers. And sh*t happens!
Sh*t happens... Who came up with the tag line?
AAMIR: I did. Akshat (writer Akshat Verma) had come up with a couple too...
IMRAN: `Sometimes fate is a bad plate of chicken...' There was also a Delhi Belly graphic against a brown paper backdrop shaped like a stomach.
AAMIR: And one that went, `Orange juice+ chicken will Sh*t happened to me when Imran asked me to produce Jaane Tu... for him.
never taste the same again!' They were all funny and clever, but you need to see the film for them to make sense. On the poster, you need a tagline that connects with the audience instantly. A line that conveys something crazy happening out of the blue, outside of your control, and turning lives topsyturvy. And that's how `Sh*t happens' happened!' IMRAN: (Chuckles) I thought it was awesome but since I've started promoting Delhi Belly, I've had to field questions like, “To yeh sh*t kya hai? (So what's this sh*t?)“ When did `sh*t happen' to you?
AAMIR: (With a twinkle) When Imran came to me with Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na (2008) and told me, “Mamu, I want you to produce this film for me.“ IMRAN: I didn't come to you, you did! AAMIR: (Laughs) It was a joke! IMRAN: Actually, I called to ask you to introduce me to your producer, UTV.
AAMIR: (Surprised): UTV? IMRAN: Yeah, Rang De Basanti (2006) promos had just come out. After looking at them, Abbas (director Abbas Tyrewala) and I thought maybe they'd be interested in our script. (Grins) Mamu, you are losing your memory in your old age.
AAMIR: On a more serious note, I'd say sh*t happened to me during the deluge of July 26, 2005. I was in an office in Lower Parel, supposed to catch a flight that night. My bags were in the car. I drove towards the airport and was stuck on the road for seven hours.
IMRAN: My house is on Pali Hill and the water flows downhill. So though the phone lines were jammed and the cable TV went off, I had no idea till I read the papers the next day. Otherwise, sh*t happens everyday as I go out dousing all kinds of fires.
Would you say that the projected `cold war' with Ranbir Kapoor was one of them?
IMRAN: (Shrugs) That was just The most bizarre gossip? That I was married to Preity Zinta, a couple of years after DCH. a blimp on the radar. Ranbir watched Delhi Belly the other day. There's no cold war.
What about you, Aamir? What's the most bizarre gossip you've heard about yourself?
AAMIR: That I was married to Preity Zinta. This was when I was separated from Reena (his first wife). Dil Chahta Hai had come out in 2001.
This was a couple of years after that! Aamir, Akshat had tried in vain to get an appointment with you and finally left the script at home.
Had your wife Kiran (Rao) not picked this one up randomly and started reading, would Delhi Belly have been made?
AAMIR: I don't think so.
(Smiles) I guess that's another instance of `sh*t happens'.
Imran, what was your reaction to the script? Like Kiran, did you also laugh your guts out?
IMRAN: For me, it was a dream come true. I remember the first time I saw Guy Ritchie's 1998 movie, Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels. My first reaction was, “Oh sh*t, do they make movies like this too?“ After that, my best friend, Sahil and I watched My parents always gave me plenty of rope so I didn't need to hang myself.
the movie once a month. I wished I could be part of one such movie. But the tricky part is that it is an intrinsically London film. You can't take it out of there. Akshat has got the style and tone right and yet written an organic Indian story.
AAMIR: I enjoyed Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels, but it didn't have any `Oh sh*t!' moments for me.
IMRAN: It's a crime caper with blood and gore, people die...
And yet, it's still funny.
AAMIR: Our film is not that violent. But yes, it has the crime element and the humour.
Imran, what's the most rebellious thing you've ever done?
IMRAN: My parents always gave me plenty of rope so I didn't need to hang myself.
AAMIR: There were no rules for him to break. But Faisal, my sisters, Nikhat and Farhad, and I had lots set for us. No parties for the girls and that meant we'd say we wouldn't go either. And a midnight deadline.
IMRAN: That's pretty reasonable for back then.
AAMIR: (Laughs) The party was on the building's terrace.
IMRAN: My mom (Nuzhat) never let me ride a bike. The opportunity came up once.
But when I told the director that I didn't know how to drive one but could learn, he said, “There's no time, we'll change the script!“ AAMIR: Reena, Kiran and I have never put any restrictions on my kids, Junaid and Ira, who are very responsible. I only want to be in the loop about what is happening in their lives.
Aamir, your earliest memory of Imran?
AAMIR: Taking him for his first haircut. He was four, his mom was out of town. I told the barber to give him a clean shave. (Grins) He was sitting with his head down and only looked into the mirror after half his hair was gone. And instantly started crying, wouldn't stop! His head as smooth as an egg. Nuzhat returned after a few days and cried out, “What have you done to my boy?“ I told her I had got him a haircut! Imran, what's your earliest memory of mamu?
IMRAN: I was on this Mall Road set of Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander (1992) at Film City, in costume and make-up, ready to face the camera.
Mamu took one look at my garishly made-up face and said, “Terrible!“ He then wiped off all the paint and re-did the make-up himself.
Aamir you were supposed to do Kunal Kapoor's role in the film?
AAMIR: I wanted to, but couldn't afford to put on so much Imran has shown huge growth as an actor since Jaane Tu...
Ya Jaane Na. His best performance yet is in Delhi Belly.
weight and then lose it all.
IMRAN: I keep trying to imagine mamu in the role, but Kunal has inhabited it so well that it's difficult.
AAMIR: There's a Tom Cruise film in which he's unrecognisable. Fat, hairy producer...
IMRAN: Tropic Thunder! AAMIR: (Smiles) Now see if you can imagine me in Delhi Belly?
IMRAN: Tom breaks into a jig while the end credits are rolling. His film is winning Oscars and he does this hiphop dance... Hairy arms, pelvic thrusts and `ganda sa' (dirty) steps. Fantastic! Aamir has done an item number for Delhi Belly, enjoyed it?
AAMIR: Yeah, it was cool... I've done some weird stuff, but this was one of the weirdest. What's your favourite item song?
IMRAN: `Munni badnaam hui...'(Dabangg, 2010). Without humour, a song like that could turn sleazy.
AAMIR: `Choli ke peechey kya hai...' (Khal Nayak, 1993).
Aamir, what's the one thing about Imran that you envy?
AAMIR: His height, I wish I were taller.
IMRAN: I envy mamu's innate understanding of cinema. He can pick a random shot and tell you it would be better at this point in the story. Wow! I've done some weird stuff, but this song was the weirdest! Hairy arms, pelvic thrusts and `ganda sa' (dirty) steps...
How would you rate Aamir as a producer on a scale of 10?
IMRAN: A straight 10! Aamir, how would you rate Imran as an actor?
AAMIR: 8/10. I'm not generous with marks, but Imran has shown a huge growth as an actor since Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na. I see more ease and confidence now. And I'm hoping and assuming that the improvement goes beyond this, so I can give him those two extra points soon. His best act yet is in Delhi Belly.
IMRAN: And mamu's was 3 Idiots (2009).
And from the Aamir Khan Productions repertoire over the last decade, take your pick...
IMRAN: Taare Zameen Par (2007) (TZP). It was so real, stripped down to bare bones, while the other movies, whether Lagaan (2001) or Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na, had a sense of cinema. I guess it had to do with the fact that it was Darsheel (Safary) and not Aamir who was the hero, a little boy from a middleclass family.
AAMIR: I agree with Imran. All my films in a two decade-plus career have been creatively different, but TZP was the only one that changed lives across the country. It changed the way parents looked at their kids and how children perceived themselves. It altered the perception of the education system and the equation in a parentchild relationship.
IMRAN: I remember once I was at an airport when this guy came running up to me and told me that he'd heard I was an actor and related to Aamir Khan. When I confirmed this, he pulled out a bunch of paper napkins from his pocket.
AAMIR: Napkins?
IMRAN: Yeah, he said that Taare Zameen Par was his story so he had scribbled his thoughts on the film on the napkins in the form of a letter and wanted me to pass it on to you.
AAMIR: Where is it?
IMRAN: I passed it on to one of your assistants. Maybe it's in a pile somewhere.
AAMIR: Must search for it, we might just find another gem like Akshat's Delhi Belly script. Sh*t happens! Mamu's best act was 3 Idiots

 If you know about an event in the city, share it at ht.cafe@gmail.com SHOP Search Friday Lee offers upto 50 per cent discount on all menswear and women's wear, with offers like buy two and get two free on tops. At all Lee stores.
Saturday Rajesh Pratap Singh announces the beginning of their sale, ending on July 10. Rush to grab the best deal till the stocks last. At the Courtyard, Colaba.
Sunday Make-up brand Inglot launches offers MUST like buy three, get one free on their range of colour cosmetics. At the BUY stores at G7 Mall, Andheri and Infiniti Mall, Malad.
Monday Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri launches jewellery for men under the brand name The Gentlemen's Collection. Available in gold and diamonds under four categories -daily wear, formal wear, festival wear and club wear. At TBZ stores across the city.
Tuesday Puma sale offers customers up to 50 per cent off on jackets, sweatshirts, sneakers and more. Offer on till July 31 at all Puma exclusive outlets.
Wednesday Designer Kunal Rawal launches his monsoon collection of windcheaters with cotton jersey lining with zipper hoods and adjustable straps and flip-flops. At Kunal Rawal Studio, Juhu. EVENTS Search Friday MUST Catch comedians Rob Deering, Roger Monkhouse and Andre WATCH Vincent perform at The Comedy Store, Palladium, on July 1 and 3, at 8.30 pm. Call 43485000 Saturday Attend photo exhibition, Missing Compass, at the PL Deshpande Art Gallery, Prabhadevi. The stills displayed at the exhibition showcase a journey of cultures stumbled upon and memories of a road less travelled. On till July 12.
Sunday Akvarious Productions presents Super 8, a collection of eight compact contemporary comedies. At the Comedy Store, Palladium, at 6 pm. Entry: R 400. Call 43485000.
Monday Head to Café Goa, Linking Road, Bandra (West), for Monday Night Slam. Random audience members judge poets, as they compete against their peers for prize money and bragging rights for a month.
Wednesday Shailbhramar, a well-known mountaineering club from Mumbai is organising its 7th Mountaineering Film Festival. Submissions on for films, presentations and documentaries on mountaineering and nature to be screened at the festival. Call 09987099176 for details. ART Search Friday And it is Love, paintings by Poonam Agarwal are on display at Museum Art Gallery, Kala Ghoda.
Last two days left.
Saturday Magic Realism, an exhibition of tribal art from Madhya Pradesh is on display at Gallery Svenska, Andheri till July 31.
Sunday MUST Director Waman Kendre is launching his play in three languages on the SEE same day at NCPA Experimental Theatre. Watch the Marathi version ­ Priya Bawri at 2 pm, Hindi version ­ Mohe Piya at 4.30 pm and English version ­ O My Love at 7 pm.
Watch Arms and the Man, an English play by the Motley Theatre Group, directed by Naseeruddin Shah at 7 pm, Tata Theatre, Nariman Point.
Gujarati play Korat will premiere at 8 pm, Bhavans Auditorium, Chowpatty. It is the story of a layman living in Surat, who questions whether law is greater than humanity.
Monday A solo exhibition by Michelle Roy will be on display at The Art Loft, Bandra (W) till July 5.
Tuesday View works by TM Aziz, Babu Xavier and Ramesh Gorjala at Tulika Arts Gallery, Lower Parel till July 16. The paintings can also be viewed at www.tulikaartsgallery.com. FOOD Search Friday MUST Zenzi, Bandra introduces a delectable fare of sushi in their menu, also availEAT able in vegetarian, the dishes are priced between Rs 300 and Rs 400.
Call 022 66430670.
Saturday A website dealface.com introduces a special treat for all foodies in the form of special platters with oriental and continental delicacies. Log on and head to Cool Chef Café, Worli.
Sunday This Sunday, make sure you enjoy a lazy brunch at Blue Frog, with this delectable spread of continental dishes. An acoustic singer-songwriter makes sure your wine goes down right. Call 61585858 for reservations.
Monday If you have a sweet tooth, indulge in at this low-cost dessert café, Nashta Chai, with all desserts priced under R 60. Call 66158888.
Tuesday Sanchos, Khar introduces new Tacos. With options of corn or wheat flour shells, they are wholly served with salsa, lettuce and yummy re fried beans. Call 67094455.
Wednesday Souk, Taj Mahal Palace, Colaba is hosting a weeklong pita festival, called Pita Fil. Call 66653366. CLUBS Search Friday DJ Manjo performs at Aurus tonight. He'll spin across genres. Expect everything from beatbreak, house, dubstep to jazz.
Saturday Ma Faiza performs at Q night, to mark the second anniversary of Section 377, along with artistes from the LGBT community. At Blue Frog, Lower Parel. Entry R 500.
Sunday Keyboardist Abhijit Pohankar jazzes up the scene with his fusion band, Soundz of India. Catch him performing at Blue Frog, Lower Parel. Entry for R 300. Wednesday DJ Henson sets the roof on fire with his mix of popular dance hits at Gadda da Vida, Novotel, Juhu.
Thursday Frenchman Titi Robin launches his new album that features his collaboration with Indian artistes at Blue Frog, Lower Parel.
Friday Bonobo, Bandra presents bass-heavy night, Woble with DJ Uri, Breed Bass, Pravvy Prav and MC PRIT from UK. Dock now.

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What if you are approached by a close friend to become their loan guarantor? Would you say yes without a question or would you analyse the situation objectively before making your decision. In money matters objectivity is critical, so we would advise you to opt for the latter. Read on to know more about being a loan guarantor and why you should think twice!
Is being a loan guarantor such a big deal?
When you are a loan guarantor for an individual's loan, it means that you agree to be responsible for the repayment of another individual's debt in case of a default. It implies you are equally responsible for paying off the loan!

So, should I never be a loan guarantor?
When you provide guarantee for another individual's debt, it definitely comes with its risks!
A key deciding factor will be to gauge the borrower's financial capability to pay off the loan. You also need to evaluate objectively whether the borrower can honour such a commitment and not leave you to face the lone battle of paying up their dues in case of a default.
If you are confident on both these counts, then you can opt to become a guarantor, but not before you completely read and agree to the terms and conditions put forth by the bank in their agreement.
Am I being approached because the applicant has a bad credit history?
While the lack of a good credit record (past repayment track record of previous loans, credit card payments etc.) could be a possible reason for a bank to ask for a loan guarantor, this may not always be the case. It could be based on other reasons such as:
l The borrower has a transferable job,
l He has a job that involves frequent overseas travel
l Or the loan is applied at a place other than the applicant's permanent address etc.
If I choose to become a loan guarantor and the borrower is unable to repay, then what happens?
When you sign on the dotted line and agree to become a guarantor, you are legally bound to pay off the debts if the borrower defaults. If the borrower does default, then:
l The bank will approach you for clearing the debts
l Personal assets such as bank accounts, cash as well as property could be claimed (except for provident fund and agricultural land which cannot be attached under any court decree) and you could turn bankrupt
l Your credit standing will get affected and the chances of you getting a loan in the future would be slim.
Why should my chances of getting a loan in future be affected, when I did not take the loan?
It does not matter! Most banks and financial institutions look at the loan that you are a guarantor for, as a loan that you hold. They will therefore deduct that much amount from your loan eligibility.
If I agree to become a guarantor, what are the aspects I should look out for?
l The bank or lending institution is asking for a guarantor as a means to protect itself from a possible default and have the means to recover the money it is lending. Be aware that the bank can file a case against you and lay a claim to your assets for loan recovery.
l It all boils down to what the contract binding you to be the loan guarantor dictates. Hence, check whether the contract indicates the amount you are guaranteeing, make sure it does not exceed a specified limit that is agreed upon between you and the bank, else there might arise a situation where you will have to repay the entire loan in instances where the credit limit is increased on the initial loan borrowed.
l The terms and conditions should be clear and precise. Also, you need to make sure there are enough safety clauses in place that ensures you are protected to some extent against certain eventualities. For instance, the notice period that is available before the bank approaches you in case of a default should be clearly specified. Also, make sure you are not held liable if the original loan agreement is changed at a future point in time without you being aware of it.