# Highest-Grossing Malayalam Movies of All Time

URL: https://technosports.co.in/highest-grossing-malayalam-movies/  
Published: 2026-09-23  
Updated: 2026-09-23  
Author: Reetam Bodhak

Malayalam cinema has been on an incredible box office run, with 2025 and 2026 releases now dominating a chart that was once ruled by older hits. Here’s how the all-time list stacks up.

| Rank | Movie | Year | Worldwide Gross |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Bethlehem Kudumba Unit | 2026 | ₹309.05 crore |
| 2 | Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra | 2025 | ₹305 crore |
| 3 | L2: Empuraan | 2025 | ₹265–268 crore |
| 4 | Manjummel Boys | 2024 | ₹242.3 crore |
| 5 | Drishyam 3 | 2026 | ₹238.61–239.20 crore |

## A Rom-Com Rewrites History

**Bethlehem Kudumba Unit**, Nivin Pauly’s sleeper rom-com hit, now sits at the very top of Malayalam cinema’s all-time chart — a remarkable feat for a film in a genre that rarely tops box office records, as detailed in [our coverage of its record-breaking run](https://technosports.co.in/bethlehem-kudumba-units-record-breaking/).

![](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Malyalam-1024x576.avif)

## 2025 and 2026 Dominate

Four of the top five entries come from just the last two years, with **Lokah Chapter 1**, **L2: Empuraan**, and **Drishyam 3** all crossing well past ₹230 crore. Rounding out the top 10 are **Vaazha II: Biopic of a Billion Bros** (₹234–235 crore), **Thudarum** (₹234–235 crore), **2018** (₹180 crore), **The Goat Life** (₹158.50 crore), and **Aavesham** (₹156 crore).

## Why Malayalam Cinema Is Surging

This surge reflects Malayalam cinema’s growing pan-Indian appeal, with strong theatrical runs increasingly backed by OTT buzz and word-of-mouth — a pattern also visible in the biggest opening weekends of the year, as covered in [our ranking of Malayalam’s biggest opening weekends](https://technosports.co.in/top-10-malayalam-movies-with-biggest-opening/).

### FAQ

**Q: What is the highest-grossing Malayalam movie of all time?**  
Bethlehem Kudumba Unit currently leads with ₹309.05 crore worldwide.

**Q: How many 2026 films are in the Malayalam all-time top 10?**  
Three: Bethlehem Kudumba Unit, Drishyam 3, and Vaazha II.

**Q: Is Bethlehem Kudumba Unit still earning?**  
Yes, it was still in theatrical release when this figure was recorded, so its final total could climb further.

**Q: Which genre dominates this list?**  
A mix of thrillers, biopics, and rom-coms, showing the range driving Malayalam cinema’s success.