That films are a money-minting proposition is no secret. Indian films rake in crores and crores each year. And while the stars are always the face of these projects, it is the financiers and the producers who end up making the most amount of money (or losing it quite often). The richest filmmaker from India is a man who stays largely behind the camera and away from the limelight. And he has amassed wealth of $3.6 billion this way
India's richest filmmaker
Kalanithi Maran, the business tycoon who was once called India's Bill Gates, is India's richest filmmaker. As per Forbes, the business tycoon and film producer is worth $3.6 billion ( ₹30,289 crore). Maran is the owner of Sun Group, a media conglomerate that controls 37 TV channels as well as a film production company named Sun Pictures. It is through Sun Pictures that Maran has given some of the biggest hits in Indian cinema history, including Enthiran, Petta, Beast, Jailer, and Raayan. Maran produced the biggest hits of several actors' careers, including Rajinikanth and Dhanush. His $3.6 billion wealth puts him way ahead of the second-richest filmmaker in India - Ronnie Screwvala with a net worth of $1.55 billion.
How Kalanithi Maran dwarfs Bollywood
The Hindi film industry dwarfs the other film industries of India through its sheer size and audience reach. Yet, Maran's wealth is more than any of the Bollywood biggies. For instance, Aditya Chopra is worth 'just' $890 million while Bhushan Kumar is just a little ahead at $950 million. Even Shah Rukh Khan, one of the richest actors in the world, has a net worth of 'only' $870 million, one-fourth of Kalanithi Maran's wealth.
Who is Kalanithi Maran?
Kalanithi Maran is the son of former Union Minister and businessman Murosali Maran. He inherited a small business from his father and started his journey in 1990 at the age of 26. In 1993, he founded Sun TV, which has now grown into a giant network. In the recent years, he has diversified in sectors outside the media industry as well. He owns two cricket teams - Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League and Sunrisers Eastern Cape in South Africa T20 League. From 2010-15, he held a major share in SpiceJet as well. His brother Dayanidhi Maran is an MP and former Union Minister.
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