Vijay Mallya breaks silence in VIRAL 4-hour podcast: 'I’m a fugitive, not a chor' | WATCH

Is Vijay Mallya the wronged villain of today's India—or an aggrieved businessman trapped in a political firing line?
While most interviews today are boiled down to 15-second clips, Mallya spent a gobsmacking 4-hour-and-18-minute podcast with Raj Shamani, dishing on everything from RCB's record IPL victory to why he feels the Indian media has "vilified" him unjustly. More intense than any Bollywood thriller and longer than Lagaan, this unexpected outing is generating buzz in equal measure among business, cricket, and political circles. Let's dissect the biggest bombshells. 

RCB victory & emotional resurgence

Publicly, for the first time since his exit from India in 2016, Mallya admitted the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's victory in the IPL 2025 as an emotional moment. A tweet going viral praising him as "Karnataka's greatest son" invited a rare response: "Banks recovered ₹14,100 crores from me.

My judgment debt is ₹6,204 crores. What's left?" Mallya also reminded everyone that his sole criminal charge was for bounced cheques he never even signed, blaming vicarious liability under defective legal interpretation. "Loans paid back , so why am I still a fugitive?" Mallya made a direct hit at his being painted as a "scamster," saying that Indian banks have recovered over twice the debt. 

He challenged the rationale

"When the whole debt has been repaid, why is the system still pursuing me?" In support of this, RPG Group chairman Harsh Goenka publicly spoke out on X (Twitter), questioning why bigger defaulters are given leeway and Mallya is a "political punching bag."In the viral podcast titled “Rise & Downfall of Kingfisher Airlines, Loans & RCB”, Mallya walked viewers through:

His love for luxury cars

• The creation of the iconic Kingfisher jingle
• Why Kingfisher Airlines collapsed
• His grievances with Indian banks and media
• And the label he’s willing to accept: “Yes, I’m a fugitive. But don’t call me a chor (thief).”

The podcast, trending at 3.5M+ views, is being posted in clips on Instagram and YouTube, sparking more controversy.

• The Public Reacts: Polarizing Opinions
• Social media is sharply polarized.

His supporters label him a "targeted entrepreneur" and scapegoat political optics. Others brand him a crook, saying repayment doesn't forgive fraud, and his opulent lifestyle was constructed on the back of taxpayer funds.

 Final thoughts

Whether he is viewed as a fallen tycoon, a wronged icon, or a resourceful escape artist—Vijay Mallya's re-entry into public debate was always going to have an impact. But this time, he's not saying it via lawyers or press statements. He's talking directly, for more than four hours. And finally, people are listening.