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Lokah Falls! Bethlehem Kudumba Unit Takes No. 1 Spot
Sanjeev Kumar | September 14, 2026 6:22 PM CST

A new record has been set in Malayalam cinema as Bethlehem Kudumba Unit has overtaken Lokah: Chapter 1 to become the highest-grossing Malayalam film worldwide. The Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju-starrer has crossed the Rs 300 crore mark in just 24 days, with its worldwide collection reaching around Rs 305 crore, according to Sacnilk. Lokah: Chapter 1 previously held the record with Rs 301.50 crore worldwide, followed by L2: Empuraan with Rs 266.80 crore, Manjummel Boys with Rs 241 crore and Drishyam 3 with Rs 239.85 crore.
With this, Bethlehem Kudumba Unit has become only the second Malayalam film to cross the Rs 300 crore mark worldwide. The film’s strong performance in Kerala, along with an impressive overseas response, helped it reach the milestone at a rapid pace. Even after three weeks in theatres, the romantic comedy has continued to perform strongly. By Day 24, the film had collected Rs 146.40 crore net in India, while its India gross stood at Rs 170.95 crore. Its overseas collection reached around Rs 134 crore, taking the worldwide gross to approximately Rs 304.95 crore. On Day 24 alone, the film earned Rs 4.60 crore net in India. Of this, the Malayalam version contributed Rs 4.25 crore, while the Telugu and Tamil versions added Rs 22 lakh and Rs 13 lakh, respectively. According to Sacnilk, the film recorded around Rs 5.35 crore in gross collections on September 13. Kerala contributed the biggest share with Rs 4.40 crore, followed by Karnataka with Rs 40 lakh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana with Rs 20 lakh, and other regions with Rs 10 lakh. The film’s week-wise collections have also remained steady. Bethlehem Kudumba Unit earned Rs 52.30 crore in Week 1, Rs 49.85 crore in Week 2 and Rs 33.30 crore in Week 3. The fourth weekend added another Rs 11 crore, helping the film cross the Rs 300 crore milestone. Directed by Girish AD, Bethlehem Kudumba Unit is a romantic comedy-drama with a runtime of 2 hours and 37 minutes. The story follows Ashley, who returns from abroad and is reminded of her first love, Justin, when a wedding takes place next door. The film also stars Vinay Forrt, Bindu Panicker, Shyam Mohan and Srindaa. It was released in theatres on August 21 in Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu.


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