This filmmaker from south India is the richest in India, with an impressive net worth of Rs 26000 crore.
The four film industries of south India have gained prominence in the recent years, emerging from the shadow of Bollywood. The regional cinema – as it was called – has been considered a poorer cousin of Hindi films for years. But over the last decade, that has changed. Some of the biggest films are made down south now, and the highest-paid actors also come from that region. The biggest indicator, perhaps is that India’s richest filmmaker is also from down south, and his wealth dwarfs even Bollywood biggies.
South India’s richest filmmaker is...
Kalanithi Maran, the head honcho of Sun Group, is the richest filmmaker from the south as well as the richest in all of India. As per Forbes, as of January 2024, Maran has an impressive net worth of $3.2 billion (over Rs 26600 crore). This means he is one of the hundred richest India (appearing at #82 in Forbes’ list) and the only filmmaker to make it to the elite list. Maran owns Sun Pictures and Sun TV among other ventures. His big productions include Rajinikanth’s Jailer, Beast, Petta, and Enthiran.
How Kalanithi Maran’s wealth compares to Bollywood biggies
The richest film producer in Bollywood is Ronnie Screwvala, whose net worth is just under half of Maran (Rs 13000 crore). Others pale in comparison. In fact, even the combined reported wealth of the biggest producers and stars of Bollywood – Aditya Chopra (Rs 7200 crore), Karan Johar (Rs 1800 crore), Shah Rukh Khan (Rs 6000 crore), and Salman Khan (Rs 3500 crore) – comes out to Rs 18500 crore, way less than Maran’s net worth, signifying just how rich he is.
The secret to Kalanithi Maran’s impressive net worth
Son of politician Murosali Maran, Kalanithi launched the Sun TV network in 1993, which has now grown to be a billion dollar company. Apart from the parent channel, the network owns and operates 32 other channels across the world. On top of that, the Sun Group includes two production companies – Sun Pictures for films and Sun Entertainment for television. Maran also owns the OTT platform Sun Nxt and the Indian Premier League team Sunrisers Hyderabad. All these, along with investments in other ventures, give Maran his impressive wealth.
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