# Loham (ലോഹം)
**Loham** (ലോഹം; transl. Metal), whose English title is *Loham: The Yellow Metal*, is a 2015 Malayalam action thriller from India; [Ranjith](https://www.edgepedia.org/ranjith-director) both wrote and directed it, while [Antony Perumbavoor](https://www.edgepedia.org/antony-perumbavoor) produced it under his [Aashirvad Cinemas](https://www.edgepedia.org/aashirvad-cinemas) banner.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | 20 August 2015, in over 250 theaters across India; UAE and United Kingdom release followed on 28 August[12](https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/Loham?hl=en_IN&id=9EBADA216FF6C1FBMV) |
| Lead cast | Mohanlal (Raju / Rajeev Sathyamoorthy), Andrea Jeremiah (Jayanthi Ramesh), Siddique, Renji Panicker, Ajmal Ameer[1](https://www.flickchart.com/movie/loham/credits) |
| Runtime | 129 minutes (2h 9m)[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4881242/) |
| Music | Songs by Sreevalsan J. Menon; film score by C. Rajamani[13](https://www.allmovie.com/movie/loham-am426761) |
| Box office | Budget reported as ₹68,000,000 (estimated)[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4881242/) or ₹70 million (₹7 crore)[3](https://play.google.com/store/movies/details?id=9EBADA216FF6C1FBMV); worldwide gross reported as approximately ₹140 million (₹14 crore) or ₹150 million (₹15 crore)[3](https://play.google.com/store/movies/details?id=9EBADA216FF6C1FBMV) |
## Spoilers
### Plot and premise
The film is set around gold smuggling into Kerala through airports, a subject the first-look poster's tagline, "The Yellow Metal", pointed to directly.[4](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/loham/story.html) Raju (Mohanlal) works as a taxi driver for a Kochi-based cab service called "Taxi Nation". He is assigned to pick up Jayanthi ([Andrea Jeremiah](https://www.edgepedia.org/andrea-jeremiah)), who arrives at [Cochin International Airport](https://www.edgepedia.org/cochin-international-airport) from Mumbai with a hidden agenda, and how Raju plays a vital role in her mission forms the crux of the story.[4](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/loham/story.html) The incidents of their one-day journey and the people they come across make up the plot.[5](https://www.moviebuff.com/loham)
Mohanlal appears in two guises, as the taxi driver Raju and as Rajeev Sathyamoorthy, a character in the smuggling operation.[1](https://www.flickchart.com/movie/loham/credits) • [6](https://malayalam.indianexpress.com/entertainment/mohanlal-ranjith-evergreen-films/) Before release, Mohanlal described the film as being about a bad thing that had been going on in Kerala for some time, with the film's suspense lying in what its subject was and where his character stood within it; he compared its approach to Ranjith's earlier *Spirit* (2012), which addressed alcoholism from within rather than through preaching.[7](https://www.manoramaonline.com/movies/movie-news/loham-movie-mohanlal-story.html)
## Production
Kunjunni S. Kumar was the director of photography and Manoj Kannoth the editor.[1](https://www.flickchart.com/movie/loham/credits) According to an interview with the *Deccan Chronicle*, Ranjith told Kunjunni after the script narration to avoid gimmicks in framing and shots to make the film more realistic.[14](https://www.deccanchronicle.com/150817/entertainment-mollywood/article/working-seniors-made-me-more-conscious-kunjunni-s-kumar)
Mythili, cast by Ranjith in her debut film, also served as an assistant director on the film and sang a duet, "Kanaka Mylanchi", with Shahbaz Aman on the soundtrack.[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4881242/) [Manju Warrier](https://www.edgepedia.org/manju-warrier) appeared in a guest role.[8](https://www.prokerala.com/movies/loham/)
The first-look title poster was released on 10 March 2015 with golden lettering and the tagline "The Yellow Metal"; a poster featuring Mohanlal followed on 29 June 2015, and further posters in early August showed him in army-style camouflage pants.[4](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/loham/story.html)
## Release and box office
It was a commercial success and set the record for the highest opening day gross for a Malayalam film at the time.[3](https://play.google.com/store/movies/details?id=9EBADA216FF6C1FBMV) Sources differ on the totals: one account gives a worldwide gross of approximately ₹140 million (₹14 crore; US$1.5 million) for 2015, while another gives approximately ₹150 million (₹15 crore) against a ₹70 million (₹7 crore) budget.[3](https://play.google.com/store/movies/details?id=9EBADA216FF6C1FBMV) IMDb lists the estimated budget as ₹68,000,000.[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4881242/)
## Reception
Critical reactions were mixed, with some reviewers praising the lead actors' performances and the film's technical aspects while criticizing the screenplay.[3](https://play.google.com/store/movies/details?id=9EBADA216FF6C1FBMV) The Behindwoods review board noted that the film kept curiosity alive until its midpoint.[9](https://www.behindwoods.com/malayalam-movies/loham/loham-review.html) On IMDb the film holds a rating of 5.1/10 from about 1,000 users.[2](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4881242/) The film later became available for streaming on JioHotstar.[10](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/loham)
## Place in Ranjith and Mohanlal's collaboration
Loham was the last Ranjith–Mohanlal collaboration to reach theaters before their next pairing, *Drama* (2018).[6](https://malayalam.indianexpress.com/entertainment/mohanlal-ranjith-evergreen-films/) • [11](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/features/before-drama-look-at-the-mohanlal-ranjith-movies-so-far-047049.html) Their earlier joint films include *Ravanaprabhu* (2001), *Chandrolsavam* (2005), and *Spirit* (2012), the last of which was among the highest-grossing Malayalam films of 2012.[11](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/features/before-drama-look-at-the-mohanlal-ranjith-movies-so-far-047049.html) • [6](https://malayalam.indianexpress.com/entertainment/mohanlal-ranjith-evergreen-films/)
## References
1. [Loham – Cast & Crew, Flickchart](https://www.flickchart.com/movie/loham/credits)
2. [Loham (2015), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4881242/)
3. [Loham, Google Play Movies](https://play.google.com/store/movies/details?id=9EBADA216FF6C1FBMV)
4. [Loham: Story, Preview, First Day Box Office Collection, FilmiBeat](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/loham/story.html)
5. [Loham on Moviebuff.com](https://www.moviebuff.com/loham)
6. [രഞ്ജിത്തും മോഹൻലാലും വീണ്ടും കൈകോർക്കുമ്പോൾ, Indian Express Malayalam](https://malayalam.indianexpress.com/entertainment/mohanlal-ranjith-evergreen-films/)
7. [മീശ പിരിക്കുന്നതിനെക്കുറിച്ചുള്ള സിനിമയല്ല ലോഹം: മോഹൻലാൽ, Manorama Online](https://www.manoramaonline.com/movies/movie-news/loham-movie-mohanlal-story.html)
8. [Loham Movie Cast, Review, Wallpapers & Trailer, Prokerala](https://www.prokerala.com/movies/loham/)
9. [Loham (aka) Loham review, Behindwoods](https://www.behindwoods.com/malayalam-movies/loham/loham-review.html)
10. [Loham streaming: where to watch online?, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/loham)
11. [Before Drama, A Look At All The Mohanlal-Ranjith Movies So Far!, Malayalam Filmibeat](https://malayalam.filmibeat.com/features/before-drama-look-at-the-mohanlal-ranjith-movies-so-far-047049.html)
12. [Loham – Movies on Google Play, Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/Loham?hl=en_IN&id=9EBADA216FF6C1FBMV)
13. [Loham (2015), AllMovie](https://www.allmovie.com/movie/loham-am426761)
14. [Working with seniors made me more conscious: Kunjunni S Kumar, Deccan Chronicle](https://www.deccanchronicle.com/150817/entertainment-mollywood/article/working-seniors-made-me-more-conscious-kunjunni-s-kumar)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Malayalam films of the 2010s › Malayalam films of 2010 to 2015*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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