Nivin Pauly's romantic comedy crosses ₹205 crore, eyes Tamil expansion

Nivin Pauly's 'Bethlehem Kudumba Unit' Eyes Box Office History as Tamil Release Nears

Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju's romantic comedy has crossed ₹205 crore worldwide within eleven days of its Malayalam release, positioning itself to potentially overtake two of 2026's biggest Malayalam blockbusters by the end of its third weekend.

Record-Breaking Performance Drives Tamil Expansion

The film will release in Tamil on September 4, riding on extraordinary box office momentum that has seen it become the fastest romantic comedy in Mollywood to breach the ₹200-crore mark. Produced by Bhavana Studios and directed by Gireesh AD, the film opened in Malayalam on August 21 to positive reviews. The makers unveiled the song 'Muttayi Vandi' to announce the Tamil release.

Theatrical Collections Surge Past Major Milestones

By its eleventh day, 'Bethlehem Kudumba Unit' had collected a net ₹6 crore across 2,357 shows, pushing its India gross to ₹103.20 crore and India net to ₹88.45 crore. The film earned ₹4 crore overseas on Day 11, taking its overseas gross to ₹102 crore. According to tracking data from Sacnilk, the film has earned around ₹84.85 crore gross in Kerala alone, adding ₹6.35 crore on Day 11 after collecting ₹78.50 crore in its first ten days.

The romantic comedy has achieved the rare distinction of crossing the ₹100-crore Keralam gross mark within just ten days of release.

All-Time Rankings and Career Milestones

'Bethlehem Kudumba Unit' has become the third-highest-grossing Malayalam movie of 2026, trailing only "Vaazha 2" (₹235 crore-plus) and "Drishyam 3" (₹240 crore-plus). Current trends suggest it could overtake both films. The film has entered the Top 10 highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time and pushed past the survival drama "2018" to claim seventh place on the all-time global chart. It is only the seventh Malayalam film to enter the ₹200-crore club.

For Nivin Pauly, the film marks a career-defining achievement, becoming his highest-grossing movie and surpassing his previous best, 'Sarvam Maya', which crossed ₹125 crore globally earlier in 2026. It is also his second film to cross ₹50 crore in Kerala.

Strong Onam Performance and Critical Reception

The film's box office surge has been powered by the strong Onam festive season. 'Bethlehem Kudumba Unit' is a feel-good romance drama that follows a young woman who moves into a new neighbourhood in the city and takes a liking to her older neighbour. The film also stars Sangeeth Prathap, Suresh Krishna, Vinay Forrt, Roshan Shanavas, and Shyam Mohan. Music is scored by Vishnu Vijay, with cinematography by Ajmal Sabu and editing by Akash Joseph Varghese.

The Hindu's review praised director Girish AD as "one of the most interesting filmmakers in Malayalam cinema, especially for the endless supply of relatable, humorous situations that propel his films". The review noted that 'Bethlehem Kudumba Unit' "certainly ranks among his best, alongside Premalu and Thanneer Mathan Dinangal".