Moving with the times: Why Air India could give Maharaja a royal snub
Think Air India, and almost always the first thing that comes to mind is the portly Maharaja — complete with his yellow and red striped turban and oversized moustache.
Originally designed for an in-flight memo pad, the Maharaja went on to become the mascot of the airline. Created in 1946 by Bobby Kooka, the then creative director of Air India, the Maharaja — in his late 70s now — may well be bowing out.
As Air India started flying to virtually every country on the globe, the Maharaja too became a globetrotter. Ads featuring him buying carpets in West Asia, climbing the Swiss Alps or breaking into a traditional Thai dance in Bangkok came to be loved by fliers.
