Kaviya Kalanithi Maran

About

At the helm of South India’s entertainment behemoth, Kaviya Kalanithi Maran leads Sun TV Network’s digital and OTT strategy, where it is betting big on regional content with a deep cultural connection that resonates with the audience. But in the movie business, she believes, the longing to celebrate large-scale productions is here to stay as superstars continue to draw audiences to theatres. Sun Pictures’ upcoming release this year—Jailer 2, the sequel to Rajinikanth’s 2023 blockbuster—resonates that thought. Maran firmly believes that good, experiential movies will continue to draw audiences. “We still like to celebrate movies larger than life, and it’s just that people are seeing the theatre-going experience differently now than before,” she says. But anyone who knows Maran also knows her first love is cricket. The IPL, says Maran, has demonstrated a powerful business model. “This has led to significant value creation over time, and innovations for these franchises will only continue to grow.” According to her, team owners are now looking at drawing synergies, and sponsor brands are looking at multiple franchises. “Everybody wants to be a global brand, and the easiest way to do it is to have a multi-franchise model across countries.” That explains why the Sun Group owns three cricket franchises—SunRisers Hyderabad, SunRisers Eastern Cape of Cricket South Africa’s T20 League, and SunRisers Leeds of the U.K.’s The Hundred.