Vijay Mallya Credits Kingfisher Calendar for Launching Bollywood Stars
| 2025-06-07
Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif were calendar girls for Vijay Mallya.
Former businessman Vijay Mallya says Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif were "right picks" for the Kingfisher Calendar, calling it a launchpad for talent.
Vijay Mallya, the former chairman of the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines, has made headlines following a podcast interview in which he reflected on his business ventures and the legacy of the Kingfisher Calendar. In conversation with entrepreneur and content creator Raj Shamani, Mallya described the calendar as a platform that helped discover and promote some of India’s biggest female film stars.
Asked about the early careers of the models featured in the calendar, Mallya responded, “We chose the right girls. I mean, whether it was Deepika Padukone or Katrina Kaif, we had all the heroines and the stars on the calendar in their younger days.” He added, “We picked well, we picked the right talent,” when it was noted that many of the featured models only rose to fame after appearing in the publication.
The Kingfisher Calendar, conceptualised by photographer Atul Kasbekar, was first published in 2003 and ran annually until 2021. It was inspired by the Italian luxury brand Pirelli’s calendar and was produced as part of Kingfisher’s branding strategy. The calendar typically featured models in swimsuit-themed photo shoots at exotic locations, with a dedicated model hunt—initially known as the Kingfisher Calendar Girl Hunt and later Kingfisher Supermodels—organised each year to select new faces.
Several well-known actors and models, including Yana Gupta, Esha Gupta, Lisa Haydon, Nargis Fakhri, Nora Fatehi, and Sobhita Dhulipala, were among those featured during the calendar’s run.
Comments on India Return
During the podcast, Mallya also addressed the longstanding question of his return to India. He has been living in London since 2016 after being accused of defaulting on bank loans amounting to over ₹9,000 crore related to Kingfisher Airlines.
When asked about the possibility of returning to India, Mallya said, “If I am assured, absolutely I will. I will think about it seriously.” He pointed to concerns over prison conditions in India, saying that UK courts had in some cases declined extradition requests citing violations of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
Mallya stated, “The plea was basically the prolonged detention without trial, for which we all know there are numerous examples. They just lock you up and throw away the key. That’s not justice.”
His comments come as Indian authorities continue efforts to extradite several economic fugitives from the United Kingdom.
Context:
The Kingfisher Calendar became an iconic publication in India’s early 2000s pop culture landscape, launching during a time when exposure through lifestyle and fashion media was becoming a stepping stone into the film industry. For many of its featured models, the calendar served as a visual portfolio that garnered attention from Bollywood producers and advertising agencies.
Deepika Padukone, now one of India’s highest-paid actors, was featured in the calendar in 2006 before making her film debut in 2007. Katrina Kaif also gained early visibility through modelling before establishing herself in Hindi cinema.
Vijay Mallya’s brand empire, once associated with luxury and glamour, has since been overshadowed by legal controversies. His departure from India and the subsequent legal battle over his extradition have made him a symbol of unresolved corporate fraud cases.
Despite the scandals, Mallya’s latest remarks about the calendar reignite interest in the publication’s role as an early platform for rising stars in Indian entertainment. As of 2024, Deepika Padukone has appeared in films including Fighter, Kalki 2898 AD, and Singham Again, and is set to star in a science fiction film directed by Atlee. Katrina Kaif was last seen in Merry Christmas, with new projects yet to be confirmed.
Conclusion:
Vijay Mallya’s comments reflect both nostalgia for a bygone era of Indian glamour branding and an ongoing attempt to shape his narrative while in exile. As India’s legal system continues to pursue extradition cases against high-profile fugitives, the former tycoon’s words serve as a reminder of how business, celebrity culture, and law have intersected in the country’s recent history.
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