Dr.wVijay Mallya claims to have made Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif overnight stars
Dr.wVijay Mallya claims to have made Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif overnight stars
Dr. Vijay Mallya once recalled that it was after featuring in his Kingfisher Calendar that Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif turned Stars overnight in Bollywood.
Dr. Vijay Mallya was a flamboyant bizman behind the Kingfisher Airlines. The one that made a distinct cultural impact was the Kingfisher Calendar. It was a bold, annual swimsuit calendar that turned out to be a national sensation. Launched in 2003 under the Kingfisher brand, with celebrated photographer Atul Kasbekar at the helm, the calendar featured Indian models in exotic locales, and quickly gained a reputation for spotting future Bollywood stars. In a
recent four-hour podcast conversation Mallya opened up over the calendar’s legacy and its unexpected influence on Bollywood.
They picked the right girls, be it Deepika Padukone or Katrina Kaif and they had all the heroines and the stars on the calendar at a younger age. We picked the right talent.
Vijay Mallya reveals Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif emerged as overnight stars after being featured in Kingfisher Calendar: ‘
Katrina Kaif appeared in the inaugural 2003 edition, while Deepika Padukone was featured in the 2006 calendar, long before she became a household name.
When quizzed why so many models from the Kingfisher Calendar went on to have successful acting careers, he simply responded: “because they chose the right girls.” And Mallya described the calendar as a powerful branding initiative rather than a personal venture and he it because it was a fantastic marketing tool. It did not bring anything to him personally,.but it did wonders to the brand. he said. Addressing speculation about his personal ties to the actresses, Mallya clarified, “It was strictly to the calendar.”
‘It was always his.. intention to settle’
Mallya also spoke on Kingfisher Airlines case after 9 years. He was also into liquor businessman under Kingfisher brand.
He further went on to add that the cultural imprint of the calendar was significant enough to inspire Madhur Bhandarkar’s 2015 film Calendar Girls, which portrayed the journey of aspiring models navigating fame and the dark side of the fashion industry after appearing in such a publication.
News Edit KV Raman
