A potential resolution seems to be on the horizon for the highly publicized feud between the Maran brothers, Kalanithi and Dayanidhi. Recent reports suggest that a truce has been brokered, with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin playing a crucial role as mediator. This reconciliation effort follows weeks after reports of an explosive intra-family dispute.
Dayanidhi Maran, a DMK MP and former Union Minister, had accused his brother, Kalanithi Maran, the chairman of Sun TV Network, of cheating, money laundering, and misappropriation of company shares. The accusations were outlined in a strongly worded legal notice dated June 10, 2025, where Dayanidhi threatened legal action unless Kalanithi restored Sun TV's shareholding structure to its 2003 state. Dayanidhi alleged fraudulent share allotments, undervaluation of assets, and misrepresentation in IPO documents.
The legal notice detailed a series of financial grievances, including accusations that Kalanithi Maran allegedly allotted 1.2 million equity shares to himself at a face value of ₹10 per share when they were purportedly worth over ₹3,000 each, without proper consultation or documentation. The notice also highlighted dividends worth nearly ₹6,400 crore accrued by Kalanithi and his wife, Kaveri Maran, over the past two years.
The mediation meeting, which aimed to resolve the dispute, was reportedly held in the presence of Chief Minister Stalin and his son, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin. The Maran siblings and their sister, Anbukarasi, who had reportedly received a ₹500 crore settlement from Kalanithi earlier, were also present.
The feud had threatened to destabilize the Sun TV empire and the Karunanidhi political legacy. The Maran brothers are the sons of the late Union Minister Murasoli Maran, who was a nephew of former CM and DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi. The legal complaint also invoked the legacy of Karunanidhi's wife, M.K. Dayalu, who once held a stake in Sun TV. Allegedly, M.K. Dayalu had been short-changed when her Sun TV stake was bought out for ₹100 crore, despite the company's higher valuation at the time of its IPO.
While the specific details of the settlement remain confidential, it is unclear whether it involves monetary compensation or a restructuring of business holdings. Sources have confirmed that the mediation took place, but they have not disclosed the specifics of the meeting or the nature of the settlement reached.
The DMK was keen to facilitate a truce between the brothers due to the potential interest of central agencies in the matter. There was also advice from Dravidar Kazhagam seniors that the property dispute could be embarrassing for the party.
Earlier tensions between the Maran brothers have been mediated by M. Karunanidhi. In December 2008, Karunanidhi helped reconcile the brothers after an 18-month rift. Stalin and Kanimozhi facilitated that truce, driven by the need for unity before the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
