In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Indian TV screens were flooded with saffron-clad babas and godmen like Asaram Bapu and Nirmal Baba, peddling salvation and shortcut life hacks to an emotionally vulnerable population. They promised answers to existential struggles, karma cleansing, and even curing illnesses—with nothing more than a mantra and a mango. Millions followed. Politicians flocked to them, seeking endorsement disguised as divine blessings.

Fast forward to 2025, and the saffron robes have been replaced with podcast mics and ring lights. The medium has evolved—TV to YouTube, ashrams to algorithms—but the formula remains unchanged. India is still hooked on charisma, still allergic to scrutiny.

The Shamani-Mallya Podcast: A Case Study in Narrative Worship

Take Raj Shamani’s recent podcast with fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya. Billed as an exclusive insight into the Kingfisher collapse, it quickly turned into a PR parade. Mallya deflected blame, claiming he never personally took loans, merely acted as a guarantor. Shamani, instead of interrogating this claim, nodded along.

Let’s be clear: Mallya guaranteed ₹9,000 crore in loans. Banks lent to Kingfisher because of him, not the bleeding airline. As guarantor, his legal liability was real. But Shamani didn’t ask about that. He didn’t question how Kingfisher secured credit while MSMEs were crushed by red tape and collateral demands at the same time. He didn’t ask about Mallya’s 10-year Rajya Sabha stint, which conveniently overlapped with Kingfisher’s borrowing spree. He didn’t even mention the 2016 ED chargesheet detailing loan restructuring without due diligence.

A key contention was the loan amount: Mallya insisted the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) adjudged Kingfisher’s debt at ₹6,203 crore, including ₹1,200 crore interest, not the widely reported ₹9,000 crore. He claimed banks recovered ₹14,131.6 crore—over double the DRT figure—citing Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s 2024 Lok Sabha statement. The ₹9,000 crore figure, per CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) chargesheets, includes loans from 17 banks, with accrued interest and alleged money laundering (e.g., ₹9,990 crore in a 2018 ED chargesheet). The discrepancy arises because the DRT’s ₹6,203 crore reflects the principal and initial interest, while ₹9,000 crore accounts for additional interest, penalties, and legal claims over time. Shamani failed to clarify this, letting Mallya’s narrative stand unchallenged.

Raj Shamani’s unpreparedness was glaring in his failure to name Kingfisher Airlines’ competitors—Jet Airways, IndiGo, and SpiceJet—despite the airline’s collapse being central to the podcast. More critically, he seemed oblivious to the distinction between low-cost and full-service airlines, a fundamental oversight that diluted his credibility. Low-cost carriers (LCCs) like IndiGo and SpiceJet thrive on a no-frills model, slashing costs through standardized fleets (e.g., Airbus A320s), rapid turnarounds, and fees for extras like meals or baggage. Full-service carriers (FSCs) like Kingfisher and Jet Airways offer premium services—free gourmet meals, in-flight entertainment, and business class—but incur steep operational costs. Kingfisher’s lavish spending on luxury, such as gourmet menus and personal screens, bled its finances dry, while IndiGo’s lean efficiency fueled profits. Shamani’s failure to raise this contrast missed a vital chance to expose Vijay Mallya’s strategic errors. Mallya claimed Kingfisher could compete with LCCs like IndiGo and SpiceJet, yet ran a high-cost FSC model, betting Indians would pay for luxury. This miscalculation, likely rooted in his privileged upbringing, ignored India’s price-sensitive market, where affordability trumps extravagance. Shamani’s silence on this disconnect let Mallya’s narrative slide, amplifying a flawed story instead of uncovering the truth.

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Was this oversight due to naivety or a deliberate whitewash? Either way, the podcast amplified Mallya’s narrative, not the truth.

Influencers: The New Godmen

The rise of social media has replaced ashram gurus with digital demagogues. Dhruv Rathee, Akash Banerjee, Ranveer Allahabadia, Sandeep Maheshwari, Vivek Bindra, Acharya Prashant etc. have gained popularity in the last few years and have become household names—not for being right, but for being convincing. Of course there are many who are actually very authentic and ethical, it is not that the platform is rigged. It is just that a lot of content creators are unethical and are in a rush to make millions very quickly.

Take Rathee and Banerjee. Their videos, often well-produced and fact-heavy on the surface, frequently display selective outrage and cherry-picked narratives. Rathee’s 2023 video on the Adani-Hindenburg saga spent 80% attacking the government, barely touching on SEBI’s regulatory lapses. Banerjee, while calling out Arnab Goswami’s theatrics, mirrored the same “high-decibel, low-detail” model in his own YouTube debates.

Prashant, cloaked in spiritual gravitas, speaks in intellectual riddles that often boil down to vague platitudes. Sandeep Maheshwari inspires with “you can do it” reels but rarely discusses structural barriers like caste, access to capital, or educational inequality. Vivek Bindra? He’s monetized desperation. His infamous “Two-Week MBA” promises overnight transformation—no accreditation, no depth, all sizzle.

Their success thrives on an audience raised on obedience, not questioning.

Let’s call this what it is: modern bhakti culture repackaged for the digital age. We don’t just follow these influencers—we defend them, stan them, shield them from critique like they’re infallible saints.

This isn’t new. Earlier devotees defended Asaram Bapu even as rape charges surfaced. Today, followers of Rathee or Bindra do the same—labeling dissent as “hate,” deflecting facts as “paid propaganda.”

So, What’s the Way Out?

The Shamani-Mallya podcast is not an isolated failure—it’s a mirror held up to all of us. If we keep rewarding narrative over nuance, performance over probing, this culture of unquestioning consumption will only deepen.

Here’s what needs to change:

🧠 Verify Before You Vibe

Mallya’s claims are public record. Court rulings, ED reports, and CBI documents are accessible via IndiaCode or PRS Legislative Research or similar. Before echoing an influencer, check the facts.

📢 Challenge the Comfort Zones

Don’t just laugh at Godi media. Also call out left-leaning echo chambers that avoid criticism of their own kind. Demand intellectual honesty—not just ideological alignment. Intellectual honesty does not mean great English. English is a medium and not the message. There are people like Karan Thapar who use English with accent as a weapon.

🏫 Reform How We Learn

Push for an education system that rewards questioning. Civics and media literacy should be as important as math. Read more. And much more (read not watch, makes a lot of difference)! Very recently I came to know that Amazon KDP does not even print books in India saying Indians don’t read that much, making it a loss making business for them to setup a press. They do world wide even in smaller countries.

💭 Ask: Who Profits from My Belief?

Behind every viral reel is a product, a brand, a course, or a cult. Before you clap, ask: who benefits if I buy in? When we apply for a job or admission or visa or any such thing, we are always profiled. We should do the same, always profile the content creator before consuming the content. That’s our right! I should be in complete control of who has access to my time and attention.

Conclusion: From Charisma to Clarity

India has always been a land of storytellers. But when storytelling replaces truth, we invite manipulation—whether from babas in saffron or influencers in suits.

The Shamani-Mallya podcast wasn’t just a missed opportunity. It was a cautionary tale. When the mic isn’t used to question power, it becomes a megaphone for it.

We need to stop clapping and start cross-examining. Don’t be a follower. Be a skeptic.

Because in an age where anyone can be a guru, the only real power left is doubt.

Thanks for reading! if you find merit in the article, please do share it with your loved ones and let me know your thoughts in comments.

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