The Kingfisher Calendar, a brainchild of Vijay Mallya and photographer Atul Kasbekar, ran annually from 2003 to 2021 and became a defining platform for Indian models. Shot in exotic locations across the globe, the calendar was inspired by the iconic Pirelli Calendar and served as a bold extension of Vijay Mallya's brand. The calendar typically featured models in swimsuit-themed photo shoots at exotic locations and a dedicated model hunt was held each year to select new faces.

Recently, Vijay Mallya opened up about the legacy of his Kingfisher empire and the cultural impact of the Kingfisher Calendar. He revealed how featuring in the calendar gave many models a major career boost. Mallya noted how their early appearances helped catapult stars like Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif to stardom. He credited this success to the team's keen eye for spotting talent early on, saying they consistently chose the right faces—even before they became household names. Mallya emphasized that the calendar featured future stars at the very beginning of their careers, showcasing the brand's knack for identifying rising talent.

In a recent podcast interview with content creator Raj Shamani, Mallya described the calendar as a platform that helped discover and promote some of India's biggest female film stars. When asked about the early careers of the models featured in the calendar, Mallya responded, "We chose the right girls. I mean, whether it was Deepika Padukone or Katrina Kaif, we had all the heroines and the stars on the calendar in their younger days.” He added, “We picked well, we picked the right talent,” when it was noted that many of the featured models only rose to fame after appearing in the publication.

The Kingfisher Calendar is now credited for launching the careers of several top Bollywood actresses. Katrina Kaif featured in the very first edition in 2003, while Deepika Padukone appeared in 2006 before her big break in Om Shanti Om. Other names who shot to fame after appearing in the calendar include Nargis Fakhri (2009), Esha Gupta (2010), Lisa Haydon (2011), Saiyami Kher (2012), and Aishwarya Sushmita (2016).

The success of the Kingfisher Calendar even inspired Bollywood. Director Madhur Bhandarkar based his 2015 film Calendar Girls on the concept, showcasing the fame and struggles of models who rise to stardom after appearing in such glamorous projects. Even Deepika Padukone, in an old interview, acknowledged the platform's impact: “At the beginning of my career, I was part of the calendar, and it's getting better every year. The girls in this calendar have done a fantastic job. It's of international standards and one of the best calendars in the world.”