The Maran brothers, Kalanithi and Dayanidhi, are among the most influential figures in South India, with deep roots in politics, media, cinema, and even sports. As grandnephews of the late DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi, their rise was closely intertwined with the fortunes of the Dravidian movement. Their father, Murasoli Maran, was a senior DMK leader and Union Minister, laying the foundation for their political and business ascent.
Maran Brothers: Rise of a Media and Political Powerhouse
In under three decades, the Maran brothers have built one of the most powerful media houses in the country. Leading this journey is 60-year-old Kalanithi Maran, chairman and managing director of the Sun Group.
His media conglomerate dominates the southern television market, with 33 channels in four languages, reaching more than 95 million households. Sun Group owns the largest chain of TV channels in India. Its other business interests include direct-to-home broadcasting, 45 FM radio stations, two daily newspapers, and six magazines. A decade ago, Kalanithi Maran also acquired the Indian Premier League’s Hyderabad cricket franchise and named it Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Dayanidhi Maran, after being elected as a Member of Parliament, rose swiftly in politics and became the Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology in 2004 under the UPA government. His growing political clout, combined with the unmatched media dominance of his elder brother Kalanithi through Sun Group, made the Maran camp extremely powerful at times, even perceived as overshadowing other members of the Karunanidhi family.
Maran Brothers: The Media Wing of DMK Family
The Maran brothers, Dayanidhi and Kalanithi, are closely linked to the iconic Kalaignar Karunanidhi’s family, which spearheaded Dravidian politics in Tamil Nadu through the DMK. They are grandnephews of the late M. Karunanidhi, popularly known as Kalaignar. Their father, Murasoli Maran, was a senior DMK leader served as a Union Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government from 1999 to 2002. This places the Maran brothers within a powerful extended family network that has influenced Tamil Nadu’s political and media landscape for decades.
The family’s synergy between politics and media has amplified the DMK’s messaging across Tamil Nadu, drawing both admiration and criticism.
Burning of Dinakaran Newspaper
The feud between the Maran brothers and the core Karunanidhi family reached a flashpoint in 2007, triggered by a controversial opinion poll published in the Dinakaran newspaper (owned by Kalanithi Maran’s Sun Group). The poll, conducted in May 2007, asked readers who should succeed Karunanidhi as DMK leader. It showed overwhelming support for M.K. Stalin over his elder brother M.K. Azhagiri.
This infuriated Azhagiri’s supporters in Madurai, who felt the poll was engineered to promote Stalin and humiliate Azhagiri. In retaliation, a mob attacked the Dinakaran office in Madurai and set it on fire. Tragically, three employees were killed. The incident exposed deep rifts within the DMK’s first family.
Following this, the relationship between the Marans and Karunanidhi soured, leading to Dayanidhi Maran’s temporary expulsion from the DMK and a media blackout of the Karunanidhi family on Sun TV channels. The rift healed only years later, but despite occasional tensions, the Marans remain a significant force within the larger Kalaignar family ecosystem.
Aircel-Maxis Scam: The Maran Connection
The Aircel-Maxis scam emerged as a high-profile telecom scandal involving former Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran. The case dates back to his tenure as Communications and IT Minister (2004–07), when he was accused of misusing his office to coerce Aircel’s owner, C. Sivasankaran, into selling his stake to the Malaysian company Maxis. In return, Maxis allegedly invested around ₹742 crore in Sun Direct, owned by Kalanithi Maran, through Astro—a Maxis-linked firm—raising suspicions of quid pro quo.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched inquiries into the alleged corruption and money laundering. In 2011, the CBI registered a case against the Maran brothers. Charges were later framed under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code.
While the Marans have denied wrongdoing, calling the allegations politically motivated, the case remained a thorn in their political careers. In 2018, a special CBI court discharged them, but legal scrutiny around the case continues.
Cracks in the Empire
Recent developments suggest an undercurrent of tension between Dayanidhi and Kalanithi Maran, marked by their visibly separate paths in politics and business. Dayanidhi Maran has recently sent a legal notice to his elder brother, media tycoon Kalanithi Maran, accusing him of fraudulent transactions dating back to 2003 that allegedly allowed Kalanithi to illegitimately seize control of Sun TV Network Limited, the family’s flagship media empire.
The dispute, long whispered about in political and business circles, has now exploded into public view, revealing a bitter battle over inheritance, power, and billions in wealth. Though the full extent of the fallout remains to be seen, it marks a dramatic turning point in one of India’s most tightly held media dynasties.
