1) Khalifa: Prithviraj brings the action<\/p>\n
If your idea of an Onam movie involves guns, gold smuggling, revenge and a star-heavy cast, Khalifa is the obvious theatrical pick.<\/p>\n
Directed by Vysakh and written by Jinu V Abraham, the film stars Prithviraj Sukumaran as Aamir Ali, a character connected to an international gold-smuggling network. The film spans locations including Kerala, the Middle East, London and Nepal, and also features Mohanlal, Neil Nitin Mukesh and Tovino Thomas.<\/p>\n
The film was confirmed for an August 20 worldwide release, making it one of the biggest releases of the festive season.<\/p>\n
It has also made its opening weekend a genuine Onam box-office talking point, going head-to-head with Nivin Pauly’s Bethlehem Kudumba Unit.<\/p>\n
Best for: Action fans and anyone looking for a big-screen Malayalam spectacle.<\/p>\n
Where to watch: In theatres now.<\/p>\n
2) Bethlehem Kudumba Unit<\/p>\n
Guitars and some brooding, anyone? <\/p>\n
Arriving a day after Khalifa, Bethlehem Kudumba Unit offers a very different proposition.<\/p>\n
Directed by Girish A.D., the filmmaker behind Thanneer Mathan Dinangal, Super Sharanya and Premalu, the film stars Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju. It is produced by Dileesh Pothan, Fahadh Faasil and Syam Pushkaran under Bhavana Studios.<\/p>\n
The story centres on a couple with a significant age difference and the complications surrounding their relationship, giving the film a romantic and family-oriented flavour rather than the action-heavy mood of Khalifa.<\/p>\n
It opened in cinemas on August 21 and has quickly become one of the major talking points of this year’s Onam season.<\/p>\n
Best for: Families, rom-com fans and viewers looking for something lighter after an action-heavy theatrical outing.<\/p>\n
Where to watch: In theatres now.<\/p>\n
And then there is the OTT Onam<\/p>\n
Not everyone wants to fight for theatre seats during the festive rush. For those planning to spend Onam at home, streaming platforms offer a mix of recent releases and Malayalam favourites.<\/p>\n
Pyaar Prema Kalyanam <\/p>\n
If you’re after something breezy and romantic, Pyaar Prema Kalyanam is now streaming on Netflix.<\/p>\n
The 2026 romantic comedy stars Elan and Saanve Megghana, with Radikaa Sarathkumar also in the cast. The story follows a newly married couple whose decision to live in the wife’s family home creates a very different kind of marital adjustment. Netflix lists the film as available in Malayalam as well as Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and Kannada.<\/p>\n
It began streaming on August 21, making it particularly well-timed for the Onam weekend.<\/p>\n
Best for: A light romantic comedy when you don’t want anything too intense.<\/p>\n
Kumbalangi Nights: the Malayalam classic worth revisiting<\/p>\n
For something more layered, Kumbalangi Nights remains a solid, Onam-at-home choice.<\/p>\n
Madhu C Narayanan’s 2019 film follows four brothers living together in Kumbalangi whose fractured relationship gradually changes as circumstances force them to confront their family dynamics. The film stars Soubin Shahir, Shane Nigam, Sreenath Bhasi, Mathew Thomas and Fahadh Faasil.<\/p>\n
It has family drama, romance, humour and characters without ever feeling like a conventional family entertainer.<\/p>\n
Where to watch: Amazon Prime <\/p>\n
So, what should you watch this Onam?<\/p>\n
If you’re heading to the cinema, the choice is fairly straightforward: Khalifa for action and scale, Bethlehem Kudumba Unit for romance and family entertainment, and Thudakkam if you haven’t caught Vismaya Mohanlal’s debut yet.<\/p>\n
If you’re staying home, Pyaar Prema Kalyanam is the new romantic-comedy option, Premam is the nostalgia fix and Kumbalangi Nights is the more substantial family drama.<\/p>\n
And if you’re specifically waiting for Dulquer Salmaan, don’t look for I’m Game in the Onam listings. The game has moved to September 3.<\/p>\n
That may leave the 2026 Onam theatrical race less crowded than originally expected, but for Malayalam cinema fans, there is still plenty to choose from \u2014 whether your perfect festive evening involves a cinema ticket, a sofa and a streaming subscription, or, ideally, all three.<\/p>\n
Lakshana is an entertainment and lifestyle journalist with over a decade of experience. She covers a wide range of stories\u2014from community and health to mental health and inspiring people features. <\/p>\n
A passionate K-pop enthusiast, she also enjoys exploring the cultural impact of music and fandoms through her writing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"1) Khalifa: Prithviraj brings the action If your idea of an Onam movie involves guns, gold smuggling, revenge…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":271108,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[153,155,154],"class_list":["post-271107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem","tag-bethlehem-headlines","tag-bethlehem-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=271107"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271107\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/271108"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=271107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=271107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=271107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}