Sun Pictures is an Indian film production and distribution studio based in Chennai, India. It is a division of Sun TV Network, a part of the Sun Group. Sun Pictures started producing films in 2009, the first being Enthiran, which was a huge blockbuster. Since then the studio has produced numerous blockbuster films such as Sarkar, Petta, Beast, Jailer and Coolie.
History Sun Pictures was established in 2008 as Sun TV Network's film distribution and production studio, with Hansraj Saxena appointed as its chief operating officer. In February 2009 Sun Pictures took over production of Enthiran from Eros International and Ayngaran International, marking its first direct production venture. Starring Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, the Tamil science-fiction film was reported at the time to be the most expensive Indian film yet made, with production costs of approximately $32 million.
Between 2008 and 2010 Sun Pictures released close to 20 films. Production and distribution activity subsequently slowed after the AIADMK government came to power in Tamil Nadu.
Sun Pictures and Hansraj Saxena, its chief operating officer at the time, faced nine separate criminal complaints in June 2011 alleging cheating and intimidation. Writing in the Economic and Political Weekly, journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta suggested the case filings were connected to a promise the AIADMK had made in its 2011 election manifesto, to break Sun Group's control over cable TV in Tamil Nadu.
In July 2011 chief operating officer Hansraj Saxena was arrested in Chennai on charges of criminal breach of trust and cheating, following a complaint by a film producer alleging non-payment for distribution rights to the film Theeradha Vilaiyattu Pillai (2010). Saxena denied the charges and was remanded to judicial custody pending trial.
Sun Pictures announced its next production in December 2017, an untitled film starring Vijay and directed by A. R. Murugadoss, tentatively referred to as "Vijay 62". This marked the studio's first production since Enthiran in 2010, having concentrated primarily on distribution in the intervening years.
Following Jailers box-office success, Kalanithi Maran met Rajinikanth in August 2023 and presented him with a cheque and a choice of two luxury cars, from which the actor selected a BMW X7. Maran separately presented director Nelson Dilipkumar with a cheque the following day. On 14 January 2025 Sun Pictures officially announced Jailer 2, a sequel reuniting director Nelson Dilipkumar and composer Anirudh Ravichander with Rajinikanth.
In April 2025 Sun Pictures announced a project pairing actor Allu Arjun with director Atlee titled Raaka, described by the studio as a visual-effects-heavy production aimed at a global theatrical release.
Films produced
Year Title Cast Director Languages Notes2010 Enthiran Rajinikanth, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Danny Denzongpa, Santhanam Shankar Tamil Tamil film production debut2018SarkarVijay, Keerthy Suresh, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Radha RaviA. R. Murugadoss 2019 Petta Rajinikanth, Vijay Sethupathi, Simran, Trisha Krishnan Karthik Subbaraj Kanchana 3 Raghava Lawrence, Oviya, Vedhika, Kovai Sarala Raghava Lawrence Namma Veettu Pillai Sivakarthikeyan, Aishwarya Rajesh, Anu Emmanuel, Soori Pandiraj 2021 Annaatthe Rajinikanth, Keerthy Suresh, Nayanthara, Prakash Raj Siva 2022 Etharkkum ThunindhavanSuriya, Priyanka Mohan, Vinay Rai, Sathyaraj Pandiraj Beast Vijay, Pooja Hegde, Selvaraghavan, VTV Ganesh Nelson Dilipkumar Thiruchitrambalam Dhanush, Nithya Menen, Raashii Khanna, Priya Bhavani Shankar Mithran Jawahar 2023 Jailer Rajinikanth, Vinayakan, Ramya Krishnan, Vasanth Ravi, Mirnaa, Mohanlal, Shiva Rajkumar Nelson Dilipkumar 2024 Raayan Dhanush, S. J. Suryah, Sundeep Kishan Dhanush National Film Award for Best Tamil Film 2025 Coolie Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna, Upendra, Soubin Shahir, Sathyaraj, Shruthi Haasan Lokesh Kanagaraj 2026 DC Lokesh Kanagaraj, Wamiqa Gabbi Arun Matheswaran Rajinikanth, S. J. Suryah, Ramya Krishnan, Mirnaa, Mithun Chakraborty Nelson Dilipkumar 2028 Allu Arjun, Deepika Padukone, Atlee Telugu and English Telugu film production debut
Distributed films + As distributor Year Film Cast Director Notes 2008 Kadhalil Vizhunthen Nakul, Sunaina, Sampath Raj, Livingston P. Prasad Thenavattu Jiiva, Poonam Bajwa, Ganja Karuppu, Ravi Kale Kathir Dindigul Sarathy Karunas, Karthika, Saranya Ponvannan, Nassar Siva Sanmukam 2009 Padikathavan Dhanush, Tamannaah Bhatia, Vivek, Atul Kulkarni Suraj Thee Sundar C, Namitha, Ramya Raj, Vivek Kicha Ayan Suriya, Prabhu, Tamannaah Bhatia, Akashdeep Saighal K. V. Anand Maasilamani Nakul, Sunaina, Pawan, Santhanam R. N. R. Manohar Ninaithale Inikkum Prithviraj Sukumaran, Shakthi Vasu, Karthik Kumar, Priyamani G. N. R. Kumaravelan Kanden Kadhalai Bharath, Tamannaah Bhatia, Santhanam, Sapan Saran R. Kannan Vettaikaaran Vijay, Anushka Shetty, Sanchita Padukone, Sathyan B. BabuSivan2010 Theeradha Vilaiyattu Pillai Vishal, Sarah-Jane Dias, Tanushree Dutta, Neetu Chandra Thiru Sura Vijay, Tamannaah Bhatia, Dev Gill, Vadivelu S. P. Rajkumar Singam Suriya, Anushka Shetty, Prakash Raj, Vivek Hari Thillalangadi Jayam Ravi, Tamannaah Bhatia, Shaam, Prabhu Mohan Raja Enthiran Rajinikanth, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Danny Denzongpa, Santhanam S. Shankar 2011 Aadukalam Dhanush, Tapsee Pannu, Kishore, V. I. S. Jayapalan Vetrimaran Mappillai Dhanush, Hansika Motwani, Manisha Koirala, VivekSuraj Engeyum Kaadhal Jayam Ravi, Hansika Motwani, Suman, Raju Sundaram Prabhu Deva Mankatha Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Lakshmi Rai Venkat Prabhu Vedi Vishal, Sameera Reddy, Poonam Kaur, Vivek Prabhu Deva 2013 Kutti Puli Sasikumar, Lakshmi Menon, Saranya Ponvannan, Bala Saravanan M. Muthaiya2014 Inga Enna Solluthu VTV Ganesh, Meera Jasmine, Santhanam, Pandiarajan Vincent Selva 2015 Muni 3: Kanchana 2 Raghava Lawrence, Taapsee Pannu, Nithya Menen, Kovai Sarala Raghava Lawrence2018 Sarkar Vijay, Keerthy Suresh, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Radha Ravi AR Murugadoss2019 Petta Rajinikanth, Vijay Sethupathi, Simran, Trisha Krishnan Karthik Subbaraj Kanchana 3 Raghava Lawrence, Oviya, Vedhika, Nikki Tamboli Raghava Lawrence Namma Veettu Pillai Sivakarthikeyan, Aishwarya Rajesh, Anu Emmanuel, Soori Pandiraj 2021 AnnaattheRajinikanth, Keerthy Suresh, Nayanthara, Khushbu Siva2022Etharkkum ThunindhavanSuriya, Vinay Rai, Priyanka Mohan, Sathyaraj PandirajBeastVijay, Pooja Hegde, Selvaraghavan, VTV GaneshNelson Dilipkumar
Sun Pictures Music + Film soundtracks released Year Film Notes2008 Dindigul Sarathy Also distributor2009 Thee 2019 Kanchana 3 Also producer Namma Veettu Pillai2021 Annaatthe Etharkkum Thunindhavan2022 BeastThiruchitrambalam2023 Jailer2024Raayan2025Coolie2026 Raaka
References
External links