Former Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi recently hosted an extravagant pre-birthday gathering in London for embattled businessman Vijay Mallya, attracting several well-known personalities to his upscale Belgrave Square home.

Among those seen at the event were Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, British actor Idris Elba, and fashion designer Manoviraj Khosla. Images shared online showed guests mingling and posing together during the evening’s celebrations.

Photographer Jim Rydell posted a photo of Lalit Modi standing alongside Mallya on X, expressing gratitude to the former IPL chief for hosting what he described as an elegant celebration ahead of Mallya’s 70th birthday. Lalit Modi responded to the post by thanking attendees and publicly referring to Mallya as his close friend.

Rydell also shared the event invitation on Instagram. The invite, jointly sent by Lalit Modi and Rima Bouri, described the gathering as a “glamorous evening” dedicated to celebrating their “dear friend Vijay Mallya.” It affectionately dubbed Mallya the “king of good times” and featured a playful cartoon illustration of the former airline baron.

As photos from the party circulated on social media, they quickly ignited sharp reactions. Many users mocked the celebratory mood, questioning how two individuals facing serious legal issues in India could host and attend such an extravagant event abroad.

Several posts accused the duo of flaunting their lifestyle while remaining beyond the reach of Indian authorities. Some users sarcastically suggested that Indian banks and regulators should also send birthday greetings, while others turned the images into memes and jokes.

Vijay Mallya left India in March 2016 after Kingfisher Airlines collapsed under heavy debt. He is wanted in India on charges related to financial fraud and money laundering involving bank loans exceeding ₹9,000 crore. Residing in the United Kingdom, Mallya continues to contest extradition proceedings.

Lalit Modi, credited with establishing the IPL as a global cricket brand, departed India in 2010 after being removed from his role amid allegations of financial misconduct, including irregularities in franchise bidding and money laundering.