Bethlehem Kudumba Unit, starring Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju, became the most-streamed non-Hindi film during its opening weekend on OTT. The film, which premiered on JioHotstar on October 2, reached this milestone between October 2 and 4. Producer Fahadh Faasil said, "The fact that Bethlehem has been a success makes me happy."
Bethlehem Kudumba Unit, starring Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju, has been on a hot streak since it was released. Premiering this Onam on August 21, the Girish AD film has gone on to become the highest-grossing Malayalam feature of all time after grossing more than Rs 300 crore. After its digital premiere on JioHotstar on October 2, Bethlehem Kudumba Unit has become the most-watched non-Hindi film during its opening weekend on OTT. The Malayalam rom-com is produced by Fahadh Faasil, Dileesh Pothan and Syam Pushkaran under their banner Bhavana Studios.
Bethlehem Kudumba Unit becomes most-watched non-Hindi film in India on OTT
According to Ormax StreamView, Bethlehem Kudumba Unit became the most-streamed film that's not in Hindi during its first weekend on OTT. The metrics for the film were recorded during its debut weekend from October 2 to 4. Additionally, the Malayalam film starring Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju has an Ormax Power Rating (OPR) of 92 as the most-liked theatrical film in India in 2026 across all languages.
Ormax bases these streaming figures on the unique audiences in India who watched Bethlehem Kudumba Unit for more than 30 minutes during its first weekend. This applies to viewers across all language versions of the Mayalam film; it is also streaming in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi.
The slice-of-life film revolves around the romance between the much-older Justin (Nivin Pauly) and the younger Ashley (Mamitha Baiju) who moves into the neighbourhood. The ensemble cast of the film also features Sangeeth Prathap, Roshan Shanavas, Suresh Krishna, Shyam Mohan, Vinay Forrt, Srinda, Meenakshi Raveendran, Sreerenjini and Bindu Panicker. Co-written by directors Girish AD and Kiran Josey, the film features music by Vishnu Vijay.
Fahadh Faasil on the box office success of Bethlehem Kudumba Unit
Speaking to Cue Studio, actor-producer Fahadh Faasil reiterated that the whole team of the Malayalam film deserved to be credited. According to Sacnilk, Bethlehem Kudumba Unit has grossed around Rs 330.19 crore globally, but he personally would not even see half of that amount.
He stated, "None of us will get even half of this ₹300 crore that they are talking about. That is the gross collection. Anyway, the fact that Bethlehem has been a success is something that makes me very happy and proud. It is not just me. There is [director] Girish, [producer] Syam [Pushkaran] and [producer] Dileesh [Pothan]. I see this as a collective success of all of us. I don't see it as my success alone." Bethlehem Kudumba Unit was reportedly made on a budget of Rs 25 crore.