A high-stakes family conflict has erupted within one of India’s most powerful media families. The dispute centers around the ownership of Sun TV Networks Ltd., the country’s largest listed media company. At the heart of the controversy are billionaire Kalanithi Maran, who controls Sun TV, and his younger brother, Dayanidhi Maran, a Member of Parliament and former telecom minister.
Dayanidhi has taken the legal route, sending a formal notice to his elder brother Kalanithi. In this notice, he accuses Kalanithi of unfairly taking over the company following the death of their father, Murasoli Maran, in 2003. He is now demanding that the original shareholding structure of 2003 be restored, suggesting that Kalanithi’s current control is both unethical and possibly illegal.
The notice states that Dayanidhi, along with his sister Anbukkarasi Maran and other siblings, were rightful stakeholders in the company. Their uncle, M.K. Stalin, the current Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, is also mentioned as part of the extended family that should have had a say in the matter. It further alleges that Kalanithi did not own a single share in Sun TV when it was established 22 years ago.
Dayanidhi’s legal notice claims that over the years, the family's collective shareholding, which once stood at 50%, has been reduced to just one share. Meanwhile, Kalanithi now owns over 75% of the company, a significant shift in ownership. Strangely, the notice also states that even a former employee holds a share, while Dayanidhi and his siblings do not.
The legal notice was sent by advocate K. Suresh, who argues that Kalanithi began planning the takeover when their father’s health started declining in 2003. According to Dayanidhi, this moment of family crisis was used as an opportunity by Kalanithi and others to consolidate power. The notice was also served to seven other people, including Kalanithi’s wife Kaveri Kalanithi, Sun TV’s Chief Financial Officer Ravi Ramamoorthy, and two chartered accountants.
Another major point raised in the notice is that their father, Murasoli Maran, passed away without leaving a will. In such cases, Indian inheritance laws come into play, meaning all legal heirs should have received a fair share of the property. Instead, Dayanidhi claims the entire ownership of Sun TV was taken over by Kalanithi and his inner circle.
Kalanithi Maran, now 60, is the elder son of former Union Minister Murasoli Maran and the grandson of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. He currently controls 75% of Sun TV, which has a market capitalization of ₹24,356.4 crore. According to Forbes, Kalanithi has a net worth of about $2.9 billion.
Dayanidhi is now asking the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) to look into the matter. He claims that the alleged takeover was executed with the help of legal and financial professionals in what he describes as a “premeditated conspiracy”.
Sun TV was originally founded in 1985, with just two shareholders — Karunanidhi’s second wife M.K. Dayalu and Murasoli Maran’s wife Mallika Maran. Over the decades, it grew into a media giant. But now, the legal notice suggests that the company’s ownership was silently shifted, excluding the rightful heirs.
This bitter family feud could have long-term consequences for both the public image of Sun TV and its business operations. Legal experts believe the case could go on for years, depending on how the courts respond. What is clear is that the coming months will be crucial for the Maran family and their media empire.
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