MovieTimeहिन्दी
Thriller · Crime · Mystery
Baby Girl (2026)
बेबी गर्ल
23 Jan 2026124 minMalayalam
A Malayalam medical thriller set in a Thiruvananthapuram hospital. When a three-day-old baby girl vanishes from the maternity ward, attendant Sanal Mathew, who arrived late for his shift, becomes the prime suspect and starts his own search to clear his name.
Editorial preview: written from official information, the trailer and public sources — not a full viewing of the film.
Synopsis
A Malayalam medical thriller set in a Thiruvananthapuram hospital. When a three-day-old baby girl vanishes from the maternity ward, attendant Sanal Mathew, who arrived late for his shift, becomes the prime suspect and starts his own search to clear his name.
Baby Girl 2026: a hospital mystery in Malayalam
Baby Girl is a 2026 Malayalam medical thriller directed by Arun Varma, with a screenplay by the writing duo Bobby-Sanjay. Its premise, as summarised on Wikipedia, is brisk and easy to state: a newborn girl, only three days old, disappears from a maternity ward in a Thiruvananthapuram hospital. Sanal Mathew, a hospital attendant who happened to reach work late that day, becomes the police's prime suspect. Rather than wait to be arrested, he goes looking for the child himself.
The idea of an ordinary employee falling under suspicion inside his own workplace gives the story a wrong-man flavour, and the hospital setting limits the world to corridors, wards and staff rooms. The Hollywood Reporter India described the trailer as hinting at a real-time feel, though that is a trailer impression and not a verdict on the finished film, which we have not watched.
Cast and crew listed
Nivin Pauly leads as Sanal Mathew. Lijomol Jose plays Rithu, Sangeeth Prathap plays Rishi, and Aditi Ravi is listed as Sini. On the police side, Abhimanyu Shammi Thilakan is SI Rakesh Narayan, Azees Nedumangad is ASI Akbar, Major Ravi is the Commissioner of Police Shameer Musthafa, and Sreejith Ravi and Jaffar Idukki also appear. The infant in the title is credited to Rudraksh.
The film was produced by Listin Stephen under the Magic Frames banner. Faiz Siddik handled cinematography and Shyjith Kumaran the editing, while the music is by Sam C. S. Wikipedia lists the runtime at 124 minutes, though other listings give figures up to 134, so treat the exact number loosely. The BBFC listing cited by Wikipedia gives it a 12A rating in the UK; we did not find a confirmed Indian certificate.
Release date and streaming
Wikipedia gives the theatrical release as 23 January 2026, although one listing we came across shows 22 January and another 29 January, so there is minor disagreement. Trade trackers describe an unremarkable theatrical run. Wikipedia states that the post-theatrical digital rights were acquired by SonyLIV; one listing suggests a streaming date of 12 February 2026, but we could not confirm it from a second source, so we do not state it as fact.
This is a fit for viewers who like compact, single-location crime thrillers and for Nivin Pauly followers curious about him in a suspense role. The premise touches on a sensitive subject, a missing infant, so those who find such themes distressing may want to read more about the tone before pressing play.
Who will enjoy Baby Girl?
- Nivin Pauly fans who want to see him in a suspense role
- Viewers who like one-location crime thrillers
- Malayalam thriller followers looking for something short
Cast
Nivin PaulySanal MathewBorn 1984 · Aluva, Kerala
Lijomol JoseRithuBorn 1992 · Peermade, Kerala
Sangeeth PrathapRishiBorn 1995 · Kochi, Kerala
Aditi RaviSiniBorn 1993 · Thrissur, Kerala
Azees NedumangadASI AkbarBorn 1985 · Thiruvananthapuram, KeralaPhoto: TMDB
FAQ
Who directed Baby Girl (2026) and who wrote it?
Arun Varma directed it and the screenplay is credited to Bobby-Sanjay. Music is by Sam C. S.
Which OTT platform has the streaming rights to Baby Girl?
Wikipedia says the post-theatrical digital rights were acquired by SonyLIV. An exact streaming date was not confirmed by more than one source.
When was Baby Girl released?
Baby Girl was released on 23 Jan 2026.
Who directed Baby Girl?
Baby Girl was directed by Arun Varma.
How long is Baby Girl?
Baby Girl runs for 124 minutes.
