Priyanka Tiwari
Share
Suspense crime, Digital Desk : A deep fracture has appeared in one of South India's most powerful families, sending shockwaves through the worlds of media and politics. Dayanidhi Maran, a prominent politician and Member of Parliament, has fired a legal salvo at his own brother, Kalanithi Maran, the billionaire media tycoon behind the colossal Sun Group. This escalating feud threatens to unravel a dynasty built at the intersection of immense wealth and political influence.
At the heart of the conflict is a promise Dayanidhi claims was made over two decades ago. Following the death of their father, the respected politician Murasoli Maran, in 2003, Dayanidhi alleges that an oral family agreement was made to divide the family's assets. Now, he claims his elder brother, Kalanithi, never honored that pact.
In a formal legal notice, Dayanidhi has demanded a complete partition of all assets he argues belong to the undivided joint family. This includes a stake in the crown jewel, Sun TV Network, and other valuable properties. His argument is that Kalanithi built his vast media empire using the foundation of joint family funds and assets, and therefore, he is legally entitled to a share.
The two brothers are titans in their respective fields.
Kalanithi Maran is the reclusive but immensely powerful Chairman of the Sun Group. His empire includes the flagship Sun TV, one of India's largest television networks, numerous other channels, DTH service Sun Direct, and a network of FM radio stations like Suryan FM and Red FM. He is consistently ranked among India's wealthiest individuals.
Dayanidhi Maran is the public-facing political figure. He is the sitting DMK party MP from Central Chennai and a former Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology. His political career is a continuation of the family's deep legacy within the DMK, being the grand-nephew of the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.
This is not the first time the brothers have been at odds. A bitter feud erupted between them in 2007 after a newspaper owned by Kalanithi's group published a survey that angered a faction of the DMK. The fallout was severe, leading to Dayanidhi’s resignation from the Union Cabinet and a period of estrangement. While they reconciled publicly a year later, the current legal action suggests that old wounds and unresolved financial matters have festered beneath the surface.
This dispute is more than just a family squabble; it's a high-stakes battle for control and legacy. It pits brother against brother, challenges the ownership structure of a multi-billion-dollar media conglomerate, and pulls back the curtain on the complex dynamics of a family that has long wielded significant power in both boardrooms and the halls of government. As legal teams prepare for a showdown, the future of the Maran family's unity and its sprawling empire hangs in the balance.
Read More: Shashi Tharoor Shares Insights from State Dinner Hosted for Vladimir Putin in New Delhi
