Vijay Mallya reveals how he made Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif overnight stars

Dubai: Fugitive tycoon Vijay Mallya, widely known for the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines, recently reflected on one of his most culturally iconic ventures—the Kingfisher Calendar.

In a candid podcast with YouTuber Raj Shamani, Mallya called the annual swimsuit calendar a “brilliant marketing tool” that played a key role in launching the careers of several Bollywood stars.

Launched in 2003 under the Kingfisher brand with renowned photographer Atul Kasbekar, the calendar quickly became a pop culture sensation. Speaking on the podcast, Mallya said, “We chose the right girls, whether it was Deepika Padukone or Katrina Kaif. We had all the heroines and stars on the calendar at a younger age. We picked the right talent.”

When asked why many models featured went on to become film stars, Mallya simply replied, “Because we chose the right girls.”

Mallya emphasised that the calendar was a strategic branding effort, not a personal indulgence.

“I did it because it was a fantastic marketing tool. It didn’t bring anything to me personally. But it did wonders to the brand,” he said. Addressing speculation about personal links to the models, he added, “It was strictly about the calendar.”

Beyond Deepika and Katrina, the calendar featured several future film and fashion personalities including Yana Gupta, Karishma Kotak, Bruna Abdullah, Nargis Fakhri, Esha Gupta, Lisa Haydon, Saiyami Kher, Sobhita Dhulipala, Nora Fatehi, and Shubra Aiyappa.

While it embraced glamour, the concept stayed mindful of India’s social norms, sticking to swimsuit shoots rather than more provocative themes. Its impact was such that it even inspired Madhur Bhandarkar’s 2015 film Calendar Girls.

Mallya, who fled India in 2016 amid Rs90 billion bank fraud allegations, also commented on the possibility of returning home.

“If I am assured of a fair trial, absolutely I will. I will think about it seriously,” he said.

He referred to UK court rulings that blocked extradition of others over concerns that “Indian detention conditions violate the European Convention on Human Rights.”