The trailers of Bethlehem Kudumba Unit show glimpses of the Nivin Pauly of the older films, the lighter ones, the most obvious one being Ohm Shanti Oshaana. That smile is still impish, though he is older. If Malayalam cinema were to have a sweetheart who is a man, at the time, it would have been Nivin. He still is, if the response to the film’s promotion at a city college is anything to go by. Like Nazariya Nazim, after OSO.

“Now that you mention it, yes, Bethlehem Kudumba Unit has an OSO vibe,” says the actor, over the phone. The similarity is that both are age gap love stories, a romance between an older man Nivin as Justin and a younger woman, Ashley played by Mamitha Baiju.

“It is also a film told from the female perspective; a young woman falling in love with a slightly older man. Such stories are few these days; they are usually told from the male perspective unlike this movie. And like all of Girish’s films, female characters are always powerful, as in Premalu or Thaneer Mathan Dinangal.” 

He describes his role in the film, “Justin is one of those guys we might have all seen in settings which are not urban. He is the guy in the neighbourhood who is an all-in-all, helps everybody and is happy and content where he is.” One of the reasons he accepted the role was the relatability of the character.

“The setting is something that I know, like the kind I grew up in. And I have grown up seeing chettans like Justin, interacting with them and being around guys like him. I have hung out with them, doing a lot of stuff like at church or chipping during functions…it was all very familiar! I was around people like this till I was in Class 12.” 

He is also essaying a character who is closer to his age, which, he says wryly, is not that big of a deal because “it is the reality!”

This is his first film with Girish, who, according to Nivin, is down to earth without the airs of someone who has been delivering consecutive hits. “He is one of the most wanted directors among the current crop. The stories he tells, and the characters he etches, are drawn from his life and experiences, and in that sense they are very rooted, much like the person he is. He is not a show-off; he wants to make a film, so he draws inspiration from around him and makes films. It is comfortable working with someone like him; you can bounce ideas off him. He lets you do your thing, and if he feels something is not working, he will tell you that … It is easy working with someone like him. At the end of the day, cinema is about give and take and communication, which Girish makes easy.”

Of acting with Mamitha Baiju, he says, she has evolved into an actor who can essay any role with ease.

Having done films that span various genres, he says he likes movies such as this: “a simple, breezy love story. The kind that will leave you feeling happy and with the satisfaction of having watched a good film.” The December 2025 release Sarvam Maya, one of the year’s top grossers, also had Nivin in a comedic outing. Among his films this year are Baby Girl and Prathichaya. He is currently filming NP 51. That is not all, he has two Tamil films lined up: Benz and Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai.

Watching the trailer leaves one smiling, as it suggests a good old “family film”, and Nivin avers. “It is Onam, a time when we go out as a family, take our parents and kids along for a film. This is a film that one can go to watch without any apprehensions about the content or the humour!”

Bethlehem Kudumba Unit is playing in theatres

Published - August 21, 2026 12:57 pm IST