Nivin Pauly on Bethlehem Kudumba Unit’s success

In a conversation with Sudhir Srinivasan, Nivin said the success of Bethlehem Kudumba Unit was difficult to predict because the film was, at its core, a simple romantic comedy with rooted characters.

Story continues below.
Subscribe to see fewer ads.

“Bethlehem Kudumba Unit is a simple film. It is a simple rom-com. There are very rooted characters in the film. Nobody expected such a film. I am very happy people are watching it,” he said.

The actor pointed out that the film has also found an audience across generations, with families returning to theatres to watch it more than once.

“People are watching it two-three times in theatres with their families, with parents, with kids. When we do a film, we think that everyone should watch the film. That has happened with this film,” Nivin said.

He admitted that he did not know if there was a particular formula behind the film’s success. According to him, the story simply connected with audiences because of its characters and their relatability.

Story continues below this ad

“I don’t know any formula for it, but it just happened. The film connected well with every age group. Every character felt real,” he said, crediting director Girish AD for the way the performances were handled.

Nivin recalled how Girish wanted the actors to avoid conventional acting and instead keep their performances natural.

“When we used to perform scenes, he used to say, ‘I don’t want acting, I just want you to keep it natural.’ He used to tell us to talk like you talk at home. He used to say, ‘I don’t want you to act in front of the camera.’ He had a meter in his mind for the performance, and we had to match it. If it went up, he would ask us to bring it down. If it went below a certain mark, he would say it could be a little better,” Nivin said.

Story continues below this ad

According to Nivin, this restrained approach ultimately helped the characters feel familiar to audiences.

“The way the performance was filmed really clicked with the audience. It felt like these characters were like the people around us and in our families. That connect is important. People want to connect with the characters and story.”

Nivin said a movie does not necessarily have to be large in scale to connect with viewers.

“It needn’t be a big film, but it should be a simple film. If you write it well and you approach the material with honesty, I think the film will click.”

Story continues below this ad

Fahadh Faasil on Bethlehem Kudumba Unit’s success

Earlier, actor Fahadh Faasil, who co-produced Bethlehem Kudumba Unit with Dileesh Pothan and Syam Pushkaran under their Bhavana Studios banner, also reacted to the romantic comedy’s blockbuster success.

Speaking to Variety India about what drove the film’s success, Fahadh said, “I believe good and fresh content will always work.”

Fahadh credited the film’s entire team, particularly director Girish AD and Nivin Pauly, for its success.

“All credit goes to the entire team, especially director Girish AD and Nivin Pauly. What a wonderful, honest script — the age-gap romance, the packaging, the humour… everything landed perfectly. And we got the perfect release date during the Onam holidays.”

Story continues below this ad

Fahadh added, “As a producer, I’m glad to see that Bethlehem Kudumba Unit worked big-time with audiences and that it is our biggest hit so far. At Bhavana Studios, we believe in choosing meaningful stories, supporting fresh ideas and giving the product the correct platform.”

Bethlehem Kudumba Unit box office collection

According to Sacnilk, Bethlehem Kudumba Unit earned an India net collection of Rs 67 lakh on Day 34. The film was screened across 851 shows on Wednesday, September 23. With the latest collection added, its India net earnings have reached Rs 160.55 crore, while its India gross collection stands at Rs 187.41 crore.

The Day 34 collection was 4.3% lower than the previous day’s collection. The film had earned Rs 70 lakh on Day 33.

The film has also maintained its strong run in overseas markets. Bethlehem Kudumba Unit has accumulated Rs 137.45 crore in overseas gross collections. Combined with its India gross collection of Rs 187.41 crore, the film’s worldwide gross collection has now reached Rs 324.86 crore.