Businessman Vijay Mallya, the former Kingfisher Airlines chief who is facing multiple fraud charges in India, has lauded the now-defunct airline's annual calendar, saying it was a fantastic marketing tool. The annual Kingfisher calendar used to be shot at exotic locations, mainly featuring Indian models in swimsuits.
In a four-hour-long podcast with YouTuber Raj Shamani, released on Thursday, the former Kingfisher Airlines chief was asked why the careers of many of the models, including popular Bollywood faces Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif, featured in the Kingfisher calendar took off.
“Because we chose the right girls,” Mallya said in response and went on to name Bollywood actors such as Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif, who once appeared in the annual calendar.
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“…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,” Mallya said.
'Powerful branding initiative'
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The former Kingfisher Airlines chief further described the calendar as a powerful branding initiative.
{{/usCountry}}The former Kingfisher Airlines chief further described the calendar as a powerful branding initiative.
{{/usCountry}}“I did it because it was a fantastic marketing tool. It did not bring anything to me personally. But it did wonders for the brand,” he added.
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Kingfisher Airlines, launched with much fanfare in 2005, quickly gained a reputation for luxury service but struggled financially as economic conditions worsened.
Mallya left India in 2016 and has since been residing in the United Kingdom. He is currently fighting extradition to India.
On April 9 this year, he lost an appeal against a bankruptcy order issued by a London High Court in connection with a ₹11,101 crore debt to a consortium of Indian lenders, including the State Bank of India.
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Prior to that, in February, Mallya approached the Karnataka High Court, arguing through his legal counsel that banks have already recovered ₹14,000 crore - well above the ₹6,200 crore originally due. He requested the court to direct lenders to provide a detailed breakdown of the recovered amount.