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.
Table of Contents
| 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.
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.
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.
