'Deepika, Katrina Were The Right Girls', Vijay Mallya Reflects On Their Kingfisher Calendar Days
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Vijay Mallya's Kingfisher Calendar, launched in 2003, featured future Bollywood stars like Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif. He threw light on the same.
Long before Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif became the reigning stars in Bollywood, they appeared on businessman-politician Vijay Mallya's famous Kingfisher Calendars. Launched in 2003 under the Kingfisher brand with ace photographer Atul Kasbekar leading the charge, the bold annual swimsuit calendar quickly turned into a national phenomenon by the late 2000s. Mallya, in a recent interview, spoke about 'choosing the right girls" such as Deepika and Katrina to feature on the much-talked-about calendar.
Vijay Mallya's Kingfisher Calendar showcased Indian models in stunning international locations, and soon earned a reputation as a launchpad for future stars. Speaking to Youtuber Raj Shamani on his podcast, Mallya said, '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."
When asked why numerous Kingfisher Calendar models saw successful acting careers, Mallya said, 'Because we chose the right girls." He emphasised that the calendar was a strategic branding exercise, not a personal endeavour. 'I did it because it was a fantastic marketing tool. Did not bring anything to me personally. But it did wonders to the brand," he noted. Shutting down rumours about personal links with the actresses, Mallya clarified, 'It was strictly to the calendar."
The Kingfisher Calendar is known for helping launch the careers of several prominent Bollywood actresses. Katrina Kaif appeared in the first edition in 2003, while Deepika Padukone was featured in the 2006 calendar, well before becoming widely recognised. The calendar's cultural impact was substantial enough to inspire Madhur Bhandarkar's 2015 film Calendar Girls, which depicted the journey of aspiring models facing fame and the darker aspects of the fashion industry after being featured in such a publication.
Mallya, the former owner of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), fled India in 2016. Since then, he has been residing in the UK, fighting extradition to face legal proceedings in India. His sudden appearance on the podcast has garnered attention not only due to the ongoing cases against him but also because it marks his first media interaction in nearly a decade.
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