Kingfizzer

Book excerpt: He was once the King of Good Times - known for his opulent lifestyle, calendar shoots with bikini-clad models, high stakes in an IPL team, and an airline that was the last word in luxury. But the global downturn in aviation and the rising fuel prices worsened Kingfisher's financial ill health. The several thousands of crores loaned to it by a consortium of banks proved insufficient to arrest the slide in its fortunes. By early 2013, the high-flying airline shut shop and closed the doors on disgruntled employees and investors - none of which, though, made any dent in Mallya's own lifestyle as he had pilfered cash from the company and stashed it abroad. Facing charges of money laundering, misappropriation and being a wilful defaulter, Mallya left the country in 2016 for his country estate near London. Kingfizzer: The Mallya Story is the tale of how the king lost his cheer and high spirits, to be remembered for one of the biggest corporate collapses of our time.