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Why Vijay Mallya’s Podcast Is Trending: The 10 Explosive Claims He Made, And The Truth Behind Them

While Mallya gave viewers his version of events, experts, legal documents, and court records paint a different picture.

Vijay Mallya’s Podcast Written by
Why Vijay Mallya’s Podcast Is Trending: The 10 Explosive Claims He Made, And The Truth Behind Them

Why Vijay Mallya’s Podcast Is Trending: The 10 Explosive Claims He Made, And The Truth Behind Them (Screenshot: YouTube/ Raj Shamani)

A four-hour-long podcast with a man once dubbed “The King of Good Times” was bound to turn heads, but no one expected it to ignite a national debate. Vijay Mallya, the flamboyant tycoon turned fugitive, recently broke his years-long silence in a now-viral episode of Raj Shamani’s Figuring Out podcast. In it, he denied wrongdoing, defended his business decisions, claimed innocence in a ₹6,203 crore debt saga, and insisted he was never on the run.

The episode, with its marathon runtime of 4 hours and 18 minutes, has already crossed 22 million views—breaking records and drawing both praise and intense criticism. While Mallya gave viewers his version of events, experts, legal documents, and court records paint a different picture.


So, why is this podcast dominating headlines, social media reels, and meme pages across India? Let’s break it down.

1. “I never borrowed even one rupee.”

What He Said:
Mallya claims the loans were taken by Kingfisher Airlines, not by him personally. He positions himself as a mere guarantor, distancing himself from the default.

Reality Check:
As per the 2017 Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) order, Mallya, along with Kingfisher Airlines, United Breweries (Holdings), and Kingfisher Finvest, is jointly and severally liable to repay ₹6,203 crore plus interest at 11.5% per annum. Moreover, courts have held him personally responsible due to his role as a guarantor and active participant in the company’s financial decisions.

Also, read| Unlucky Bhaskar: Fugitive Banker Accused Of Rs 77 Crore Fraud Extradited From US After 23-Year Run

2. “The government recovered ₹14,100 crore from me.”

What He Said:
Mallya quoted the Finance Ministry’s 2024–25 annual report to claim that the government recovered twice what he owed.

Reality Check:
This claim is misleading. The ₹14,131.6 crore cited includes the estimated value of attached and auctioned assets, not actual cash recovered. Reports suggest banks have only realised about ₹10,800 crore, with over ₹6,900 crore still unpaid, as interest kept piling on.

3. “I didn’t flee; I told Arun Jaitley before leaving.”

What He Said:
Mallya insists he left India legally and informed the then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley about his travel.

Reality Check:
Jaitley later confirmed a brief corridor interaction but denied any formal conversation or clearance. Mallya left days before banks moved court to stop him, and has never returned. The Supreme Court found him guilty of contempt in 2017 for violating orders and hiding assets.

4. “If I’m a thief, how did the banks recover their money?”

What He Said:
Mallya argues recovery of dues proves he’s not guilty.

Reality Check:
As per the law, recovering money through enforcement doesn’t negate fraud or wrongdoing. Mallya didn’t willingly pay back; his assets were seized after he was labelled a wilful defaulter. Moreover, courts found that money was diverted, assets hidden, and legal orders violated.

5. “Kingfisher never borrowed from SBI—Air Deccan did.”

What He Said:
SBI, he claims, only came into the picture after Kingfisher merged with Air Deccan.

Reality Check:
Factually inaccurate. Post-merger, SBI was part of a 17-bank consortium that restructured loans, sanctioned new ones, and converted debt into equity worth ₹1,355 crore. In total, SBI’s exposure exceeded ₹1,600 crore.

6. “I made multiple offers to settle; banks rejected them.”

What He Said:
Mallya says he tried to settle with banks but was ignored.

Reality Check:
His “offers” came after defaulting and fleeing the country, and demanded deep haircuts. Legal experts say such offers were strategic, not sincere. By the time he proposed settlements, his credibility and legal standing were already in tatters.

7. “Kingfisher failed because of fuel costs and the financial crisis.”

What He Said:
He blamed external factors—global recession, taxes, fuel prices—for Kingfisher’s collapse.

Reality Check:
While fuel costs and the 2008 crisis did contribute, internal mismanagement was key. A 2017 academic paper listed frequent business model changes, lack of strategic focus, and over-personalised leadership as major factors. His acquisition of Air Deccan also backfired.

Also, read| Vijay Mallya Hits Back At FM Nirmala Sitharaman, Claims Banks Recovered Double The Debt

8. “I couldn’t pay staff because the court froze bank accounts.”

What He Said:
He blames the Karnataka HC’s freeze order for unpaid salaries.

Reality Check:
Wages were delayed long before any freeze. Despite wealth and high-profile investments in F1 and IPL, employees went unpaid. In fact, the EPFO initiated an investigation into provident fund irregularities.

9. “Pranab Mukherjee told me not to downsize.”

What He Said:
He claimed the former Finance Minister stopped him from downsizing the airline.

Reality Check:
No official record supports this claim. Former officials have either denied or declined to comment, and there’s zero documentation to prove this was ever communicated formally.

10. “I didn’t siphon funds. Everything went to the airline.”

What He Said:
Mallya denied any diversion of funds, saying all money went into airline operations.

Reality Check:
False. The ED and CBI have documented ₹3,432 crore siphoned, ₹45 crore spent on a private jet, and ₹87.5 crore in unpaid service tax. Shell companies were used to reroute funds. A UK court observed “clear misrepresentation and money laundering” in its extradition ruling.

Mallya is a declared fugitive economic offender, guilty of contempt of court, and is wanted in multiple cases involving fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion. Extradition proceedings are stuck in the UK due to ongoing appeals and delays.

While the podcast’s reach was undeniable, it also sparked backlash. Many netizens accused Raj Shamani of “whitewashing” Mallya’s image. Memes compared the podcast to Sanju—the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer film widely seen as a soft PR campaign for Sanjay Dutt.


Critics argue that Shamani gave Mallya a sympathetic stage without cross-questioning or challenging misinformation. Legal experts, journalists, and former employees all expressed concern over the platforming of a fugitive as a misunderstood victim.

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