The podcasting industry in India experienced a boom in recent years, and perhaps one of the most well-established names in the industry is none other than Raj Shamani. The entrepreneur-turned-podcaster is known for being outspoken, and his curious questions have given a platform to many influential voices. However, no episode has raised a buzz like his interview with a controversial business tycoon, Vijay Mallya, who has become synonymous with opulence, controversy, and courtroom drama.
The episode of the podcast that has now attracted close to 30 million views on YouTube was not a regular chat; it was a dive into the life story of a man who, according to Indian laws, was considered a fugitive economic offender. Recently, in an interview on Chalchitra Talks, Raj Shamani has revealed everything that led up to that incendiary episode, the behind-the-scenes mayhem (or as he termed it, bhasad), and how the staff worked diligently to bring one of the most elusive figures in India to task.
No stroke of fortune, but a search-work of a life-purpose.
Raj Shamani emphasised that the interview with Vijay Mallya was not just a chance that fell into his inbox. This is something that he pursued.
Raj said, “He has not said yes.” This required some persuasion. Between her and him, there was much back and forth. When we first got him, we thought that we had to do everything right.”
It was not a celebrity feature. This was a chance to pose the hang-on questions, a chance to explain the public records, and a chance that offered the viewers raw information and access to a man who is usually discussed but seldom heard.
The Homework: Weeks of Study, Rehearsals, and Strategy
Although most podcasts thrive on the form of spontaneity, this episode did not by any means. Raj confessed that there was a whole team that was researching Mallya on every conceivable angle:
- One member of the team would see all the videos and all the documents that could be found about Vijay Mallya in order to observe inconsistencies in his accounts.
- One of them scraped all tweets that Mallya was posting in the past three years.
- A third researcher had collected all the news stories, court records, and media releases ever written on him.
- Another individual has examined the account of events as presented by Mallya, examining his interviews and surroundings.
Raj went one step further himself, talking to former employees, partners, and those who were close to Mallya to know what was going on behind the headlines.
But when they put all of it together, it did not make sense.
There was ‘bhasad rogana, or disorder. He had said one thing at a place, and the court said something contrary; the media said something quite different. The dates never coincided, statements not agreeing, in short, it was a shambles,” Shamani confessed.
Timeline Strategy: Finding The Truth Through Order
The team developed a chronology timeline of the life of Vijay Mallya and the events around the facts in the business highs and financial lows, and finally, his exile in India.
All the events on the timeline were cross-checked. They were included in the interview outline only when they could be confirmed by several sources. It was not only a strategy to ask good questions but to be ready when deflections are created.
A lot of stories did not match. I questioned him, e.g., whether he was the same glitzy little innocent naughty boy who everyone talked about, flashy cars, flashy parties in his youth. He denied that. However, it was said otherwise by other sources. This is when we realised – we did not have time to go with the timeline and we must dispute all claims,” Raj stated.
Forecasted Deflections, come back preparations
Raj even disclosed how they foresaw the evasive responses that Mallya would have made and how they structured the nature of the conversation accordingly. The team practiced various forms of the interview and marked the times when the businessman could aim to direct the conversation towards other things or avoid responsibility.
People talked of his holding a shell company in France. Our name was on it, its whereabouts, all that. And when we mentioned it, he was unable to refute it. He had to account. Such is the power of prep, said Raj.
They quizzed Mallya about, among others:
- His planes
- The infamous sword of Tipu Sultan
- His Picassos
- His passport is canceled, and court dates
- And, incidentally, the tag of fugitive, too.
At times, Mallya came up with point-blank answers, at times he made a diversion, and at times, he was in fact just silent.
A Fugitive Speaks: Mallya says his side
In the podcast, what Mallya did not do was hide his defense. Instead of running away to India, he stated that he flew out on a pre-booked flight. To him, failure to go back after March 2016 was a personal choice, high reasons of which he considers to be valid.
He went as far as to say on the popular labels:
“Call me a fugitive since I have not gone to India since I went in March. Fair enough. But who is to keep the chor? Where is the chori?”
Mallya also said that he was willing to repay the enormous debt of Indian banks that he owes, a statement that had raised several eyebrows several years back. The fact that his version of events can be defended or not in court did not make a difference anymore, as this podcast gave him the chance to be heard, possibly in this most unreserved tone in years.
Journalism or Just Another Podcast?
As millions of views poured in, the social media went chaotic, raising fears that Raj Shamani had taken a journalistic course. Raj was definite, though: his role is not to judge, but to report and leave the conclusion to the audience.
To me, all guests are alike. It does not matter whether it is a startup founder or a person with having controversial background- I treat them the same. I just want to pose some questions, and I do not intend to pick sides,” he said.
That neutral mode implies that viewers were free to judge for themselves and maybe even learn how the public story can be multi-layered, complicated, and riddled with contradictions.
New Era of Content-Talking the Talk that Counts: Real Conversations with Real Meaning
Raj Shamani and his team have done what I am indicating is a trend-changing issue by way of how the Indian content is being handled, with the Vijay Mallya interview. And it is now not simply viral moments anymore, but the conversations that require research, respect, and rigour to be had.
Through this episode, Shamani refocused us on the fact that podcasting does not need to be thrown around in a feckless manner. It could be a stage of truth, confrontation, and accountability when used with responsibility.
The individual capacity to question an influential, yet controversial person without making the discussion turn into a witch hunt is what made the episode a success. It was not sensational. It was straightforward, forward, and informative with a good deal of intelligence.
Conclusions: Why This Podcast Is Necessary
In a world of content inundated by online media, not many dialogues can be really memorable. Interview with Vijay Mallya by Raj Shamani did it, but not merely due to the people involved in the show, but as a result of the way the interview was conducted.
It lacked perfection, and Raj states that himself. Yet it was real, researched, and responsible, a combination we are in sore need of more of.
Whether you think that Mallya is right or wrong, and whether justice is shortchanged or served, this one thing we can be sure about: it is not that this podcast just went viral; it carried people on a headlong ride. And that is the hallmark of effective storytelling.
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