Vijay Mallya, the previous owner of RCB, is again in the spotlight after Royal Challengers Bangalore lifted the IPL trophy this year after a long wait of 18 years. Vijay Mallya is a former businessman and fugitive who fled to the United Kingdom to avoid arrest in India.
He is charged with bank loan fraud, money laundering, and financial irregularities totaling over ₹6,200 crore. Mallya was reportedly involved in the IDBI bank loan default case worth Rs. 900 crore.
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Mallya’s recent four-hour podcast with Raj Shamani has further brought up his name
In a recent conversation with Raj Shamani, Mallya apologized to Kingfisher staff. But he emphasized calling himself a “fugitive” and denied being a “thief,” due to unwillingness to return, not wrongdoing.
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The ex-MP was heard questioning, “where is the ‘chori’?” (theft). He also said he would consider returning to the country if he were presented with a fair trial and dignified treatment.
Vijay Mallya revealed the strategy they used to follow in picking the calendar girls for Kingfisher
Vijay Mallya recently sat for a podcast, ‘King of Good Times’, with Raj Shamani, which was released on June 5, 2025. During the discussion, the former chief of Kingfisher Airlines was asked about why the Kingfisher calendar girls’ careers took off after being featured in the calendar.
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Reportedly, Vijay Mallya and his team used to select some of the most iconic models for the Kingfisher Swimsuit Calendar. After the calendar release, the models used to get noticed, and they were offered several projects in the entertainment sector.
United Breweries Group launched The Kingfisher Swimsuit Calendar in 2003 and was photographed annually by Atul Kasbekar. The calendar had been an important platform for aspiring Indian models.
Two of the Bollywood actresses who reached stardom for their work were noticed after being selected by Vijay Mallya were Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif. When the businessman was questioned about what made their cast girls so successful, Vijay responded confidently,
‘Because we chose the right girls.’
In the conversation with Raj Shamani, Mallya conveyed that from top actresses like Deepika Padukone to Katrina Kaif, all the heroines on the calendar were featured at a much younger age. He said that they had a fantastic marketing tool, which didn’t benefit him personally but worked well for his brand. He was quoted as saying,
“We chose the right girls, whether it was Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif. We had all the heroines and the stars on the calendar at a younger age. We picked the right talent. I did it because it was a fantastic marketing tool. Did not bring anything to me personally. But it did wonders to the brand.”
Here the Vijay Mallya podcast
The Kingfisher calendar gave exposure and aided in the career growth of several models
Katrina Kaif appeared as a model in the first edition of the Kingfisher calendar, launched in 2003. Deepika Padukone was featured in 2006. We all know that both went on to become prominent Bollywood stars.
In an old interview with FilmiBeat in 2009, Deepika also credited the calendar for offering her early exposure and opportunities. She said,
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“At the beginning of my career, I was part of the calendar, and it’s getting better every year. The girls in this calendar have done a fantastic job. It’s of international standards and one of the best calendars in the world.”
The Kingfisher Calendar, launched in 2003, was an annual swimsuit calendar featuring young Indian models. The calendar was so popular that Madhur Bhandarkar’s 2015 film, Calendar Girls, was inspired by the popular calendar, depicting the lives of models who rose to fame after featuring in it.
What are your thoughts on Vijay Mallya’s disclosure about picking the models for his Kingfisher calendar? Let us know in the comments.
