Forbes Magazine recently released its annual list of billionaires, listing the richest men and women in the world. The Forbes 2026 Billionaires List contains 4000 of the world’s most influential and wealthiest people, including over 300 from India. This includes a handful of people one may call celebrities, as they are associated with the world of art and entertainment. Among them is a media baron who has, for the fourth year in a row, been crowned the richest filmmaker of India.
India’s richest filmmaker
Business tycoon Kalanithi Maran is the current richest filmmaker in India. Forbes has reported his wealth at a staggering $2.8 billion (almost ₹26000 crore). Part of this comes from his ownership of the production house, Sun Pictures. One of the leading names in Tamil cinema, Sun Pictures has produced successful films like Enthiran, Petta, Beast, Jailer, and Coolie. Their slate of upcoming films includes two huge titles – Jailer starring Rajinikanth and Allu Arjun, and Atlee’s untitled collaboration.
Kalanithi Maran has beaten Ronnie Screwvala in the race to be the richest filmmaker from India. Screwvala is the only other Indian name from the entertainment industry in Forbes’ list, with a net worth of $1.6 billion.
Just how rich Maran is can be gauged by the fact that his ₹26000 crore net worth is more than the combined wealth of Bollywood biggies like Shah Rukh Khan ( ₹7500 crore), Aditya Chopra ( ₹7700 crore), and Karan Johar ( ₹2000 crore).
How Kalanithi Maran made his billions
Son of former Union Minister Murosili Maran, Kalanithi began his career handling his family’s modest publishing business in the 80s. In 1993, he launched the Sun TV Network, which Forbes now describes as “a regional television heavyweight with 37 channels reaching more than 140 million households in India.” His other business investments include newspapers, radio and direct-to-home television, as well as three cricket teams – Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SAT20 League, and Sunrisers Leeds in The Hundred.
His wife, Kavery, is an executive director at Sun TV Network and oversees content, while his daughter, Kaviya Maran, is the CEO of all three of his cricket franchises.