Bethlehem Kudumba Unit is a Malayalam romantic comedy-drama directed by Girish A.D., starring Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju. It released in theatres on August 21, 2026, and has become one of the biggest Malayalam hits recently, collecting around Rs 300 crore at the box office worldwide.
At its core, the narrative explores an unconventional age-gap romance. The story revolves around Justin, a resourceful bachelor in his thirties from Karukutty who's doing a lot of different things in life. The story progresses when Ashley, a young college student, relocates to his neighborhood. Though she is cautious and skeptical of Justin at first, she gradually finds herself drawn to his quirky charm.
Bethlehem Kudumba Unit released alongside Prithviraj Sukumaran's Khalifa and Dulquer Salmaan's I'm Game during the Onam season and comfortably outperformed both. Its Tamil and Telugu dubbed versions followed on September 4, extending its reach well beyond Malayalam-speaking audiences.
Bethlehem Kudumba Unit's leading cast includes Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju. The screenplay is written by Girish A.D. and Kiran Josey, who previously collaborated on Premalu. Ajmal Sabu handled cinematography, Akash Joseph Varghese edited the film, and Vishnu Vijay composed the music. It's produced by Fahadh Faasil, Dileesh Pothan, and Syam Pushkaran under Bhavana Studios.
The film reportedly crossed Rs 292 crore worldwide within 22 days of release, with over Rs 130 crore coming from Kerala alone and roughly Rs 30 crore from its Tamil and Telugu versions. The movie has reportedly overtaken L2: Empuraan, Thudarum, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, and Vaazha II to become the highest-grossing Malayalam film yet.
JioHotstar has the streaming rights for this movie, as confirmed by the opening credits in the film. This is corroborated by trade trackers, which list JioHotstar as the presumed platform for its digital premiere.
As of now, there's no confirmed release date. The makers haven't announced when the film will hit streaming.
Big Malayalam hits often wait six to eight weeks or longer before going to OTT to protect theatrical revenue, which could put a realistic window somewhere in October or November. This, however, is only a guess and not an official, confirmed fact