Movies Like Premalu: Malayalam Rom-Coms to Watch Next

Premalu worked because the romance felt light, the friends felt real and the city scenes had room to breathe. Below are eight Malayalam films that share that flavour, ranked by why they feel close: same director DNA, college romance energy, friendship-plus-city vibes or the next Girish A. D. watch, with streaming notes as of November 5, 2026.

Quick facts

No. | Film | Year | Director | Why it feels like Premalu | Where to watch (as of Nov 2026)
1 | Thanneer Mathan Dinangal | 2019 | Girish A. D. | Same director, school romance humour | Eros Now channel on Prime Video (paid add-on)
2 | Super Sharanya | 2022 | Girish A. D. | Same director, Mamitha in the circle | reportedly on ZEE5 (as of Nov 5, 2026)
3 | Bethlehem Kudumba Unit | 2026 | Girish A. D. | Same director and banner family | JioHotstar (since Oct 2, 2026)
4 | Premam | 2015 | Alphonse Puthren | College-to-adult romance template | JioHotstar (as of Nov 5, 2026)
5 | Bangalore Days | 2014 | Anjali Menon | Friendship and city ensemble | JioHotstar (Malayalam)
6 | Varane Avashyamund | 2020 | Anoop Sathyan | Soft rom-com, easy laughs | reportedly on Sun NXT (as of Nov 5, 2026)
7 | Falimy | 2023 | Nithish Sahadev | Young ensemble humour | reportedly on JioHotstar (as of Nov 5, 2026)
8 | Salt N' Pepper | 2011 | Aashiq Abu | Classic Malayalam food rom-com | reportedly on Sun NXT, ManoramaMAX (as of Nov 5, 2026)

1. Thanneer Mathan Dinangal (2019)

Director: Girish A. D.
Cast: Mathew Thomas, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Georgina Michael
Genre / runtime: Coming-of-age romance comedy, 136 minutes
Where to watch: Eros Now channel on Prime Video, a paid add-on (as of November 5, 2026)

Girish A. D.'s debut feature sits in a school setting with awkward crushes and dry jokes. The romance is gentle and the comedy comes from how teenagers talk, not from big set pieces. It is the clearest early draft of the tone that later bloomed in Premalu.

Our take: Watch this first if you liked Premalu's shy humour more than its Hyderabad sightseeing. Same director, smaller scale, school corridors instead of Charminar.

2. Super Sharanya (2022)

Director: Girish A. D.
Cast: Anaswara Rajan, Arjun Ashokan, Mamitha Baiju
Genre / runtime: Campus comedy, 164 minutes
Where to watch: reportedly on ZEE5 (as of November 5, 2026)

A nursing-college comedy with group banter, hostel life and soft romantic threads. Mamitha Baiju is already in the ensemble, so the Premalu cast link is built in. Girish keeps scenes loose and talky the way Premalu fans expect.

Our take: The bridge film between Thanneer Mathan Dinangal and Premalu. Pick it when you want campus chaos and Mamitha before Reenu.

3. Bethlehem Kudumba Unit (2026)

Director: Girish A. D.
Cast: Nivin Pauly, Mamitha Baiju
Genre / runtime: Romantic comedy drama, 137 minutes
Where to watch: JioHotstar since October 2, 2026, in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Kannada (as of November 5, 2026)

Bethlehem Kudumba Unit is Girish A. D.'s next big rom-com after Premalu, produced with the Bhavana Studios circle and released theatrically on 21 August 2026. Mamitha returns; Nivin Pauly leads. The family-unit title hints at household comedy wrapped around the romance.

Our take: The straightest "what do I watch after Premalu from the same team" answer. Start here if you want the director and Mamitha again with a different leading man.

4. Premam (2015)

Director: Alphonse Puthren
Cast: Nivin Pauly, Sai Pallavi, Madonna Sebastian, Anupama Parameswaran
Genre / runtime: Romantic comedy drama, 156 minutes
Where to watch: JioHotstar (as of November 5, 2026)

Premam follows George through college and into adulthood across three phases of love. Music, friends and small-town Kochi colour carry as much weight as the romances. For many viewers it remains the college-romance template Premalu gently nods to without copying.

Our take: If Premalu made you miss campus songs and long friendship beats, Premam is the older cousin. Longer emotional arc, less Hyderabad tourist energy.

5. Bangalore Days (2014)

Director: Anjali Menon
Cast: Dulquer Salmaan, Nivin Pauly, Fahadh Faasil, Nazriya Nazim
Genre / runtime: Friendship romantic comedy drama, 171 minutes
Where to watch: JioHotstar (Malayalam) (as of November 5, 2026)

Three cousins move through work, love and city life in Bengaluru, and the film gives each of them enough space that the friendships feel as important as the romances. The film is an ensemble piece: friendship first, romance threaded through. That city-plus-friends shape is the closest match on this list when Premalu's Hyderabad stretches were your favourite part.

Our take: Choose Bangalore Days when you want group chemistry and a metro backdrop more than a two-hander crush story. Runtime is the longest here, so plan a weekend slot.

6. Varane Avashyamund (2020)

Director: Anoop Sathyan
Cast: Suresh Gopi, Dulquer Salmaan, Shobana, Kalyani Priyadarshan
Genre / runtime: Romantic comedy, 145 minutes
Where to watch: reportedly on Sun NXT (as of November 5, 2026)

A light multi-track rom-com built on neighbours, parents and gentle misunderstandings. The jokes stay soft and the conflicts rarely turn cruel. It shares Premalu's comfort-watch mood even though the cast ages and the setting differ.

Our take: A good cool-down after the Girish A. D. trio if you want romance without campus noise. Dulquer's track is the closest in age-energy to Premalu's leads.

7. Falimy (2023)

Director: Nithish Sahadev
Cast: Basil Joseph, Manju Pillai, Jagadish, Kaliyanadu
Genre / runtime: Family comedy drama, 127 minutes
Where to watch: reportedly on JioHotstar (as of November 5, 2026)

A family road trip comedy driven by Basil Joseph's awkward sincerity and a household that argues its way forward. It is not a pure rom-com, but the young-lead humour and warm mess feel adjacent to Premalu's friend-group laughs.

Our take: Add this when you finished the romance picks and still want easy Malayalam comedy with a young centre. Shorter runtime helps on a weeknight.

8. Salt N' Pepper (2011)

Director: Aashiq Abu
Cast: Asif Ali, Lal, Mythili, Shwetha Menon, Baburaj
Genre / runtime: Romantic comedy, 118 minutes
Where to watch: reportedly on Sun NXT and ManoramaMAX (as of November 5, 2026)

Two food-loving strangers connect through meals, phone calls and slow trust. Aashiq Abu keeps the romance unhurried and the comedy domestic. It is an older template for Malayalam rom-coms that still feel kind rather than sharp.

Our take: The classic palate cleanser. Use it when you want Premalu's softness without college or Hyderabad, and when a food-led meet-cute sounds right.

Same director, same leads

For Girish A. D. in order: Thanneer Mathan Dinangal, Super Sharanya, Premalu, then Bethlehem Kudumba Unit. For Naslen and Mamitha chemistry, stay with Premalu first; Mamitha continues into Bethlehem with Nivin Pauly. Naslen's other youth comedies sit nearby but are not all rom-coms.

Where to start

Same-director path: Thanneer Mathan Dinangal to Super Sharanya to Bethlehem Kudumba Unit. College-romance path: Premam, then Premalu when Malayalam streaming returns. City-friends path: Bangalore Days. Soft classic path: Salt N' Pepper or Varane Avashyamund.

FAQs

What movies are like Premalu?

Films that share Girish A. D.'s humour, college or city romance, or warm friend-group comedy. This list leads with Thanneer Mathan Dinangal, Super Sharanya and Bethlehem Kudumba Unit, then Premam, Bangalore Days and a few softer rom-coms.

Which Girish A. D. film should I watch next?

If you have not seen Thanneer Mathan Dinangal or Super Sharanya, start there. If you want the newest related title, Bethlehem Kudumba Unit is the post-Premalu Girish rom-com with Mamitha Baiju and Nivin Pauly.

Are Premam and Premalu similar?

They share college romance energy and friend-group colour, but Premam spans years and three loves while Premalu stays tighter around one chase and one city stretch. Watch Premam for the longer arc; Premalu for lighter, newer comic timing.

Where can I watch Premalu now?

Premalu is not streaming in Malayalam as of November 5, 2026. JioHotstar removed the Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi versions in August 2026, ahead of the Hindi remake Prem Keetanu; the Telugu dub is on aha. See the Premalu film hub for credits.

Is Bethlehem Kudumba Unit like Premalu?

It shares Girish A. D., Mamitha Baiju and the Bhavana Studios orbit, so the comic DNA overlaps. The lead pairing and family-unit framing differ, so treat it as a sibling film, not a remake.

Malayalam Movies Like Premalu for Your Next Feel-Good Watch