Debutant filmmaker Tom Emmatty’s Oru Mexican Aparatha pretty much ushers in a year that has several campus politics-based movies lined up for release, with a bang. The filmmaker also ensures that the theme is neatly wrapped in elements of humour, romance and fun of the campus life.

Set in mid 2000s in a government college, the film is about the journey of two friends – Paul (Tovino Thomas) and Subhash (Neeraj Madhav), and how their attempts to spark a change in the political setup of an institution that has long been run under the student faction KSQ. With this aim, Subhash and his friends start their own wing named SFY, for which Paul inadvertently becomes the face.

The film though doesn’t solely focus on the campus politics. Tom has ensured that the first half serves as a slow and simmering build up to the political events by showing the influence it has in campus life – be it in the hostel, at college functions, at cultural festivals and even in the canteen.

The initial half also has a romantic track with Gayathri Suresh and Tovino, who looks cute as the innocent youth with no care in the world. Neeraj though steals the show in the initial half with his powerful performance as an astute student leader in the making, who has strong ideals. Leading the KSQ party is Roopesh Peethambaran’s character named Roopesh, who is not the in-your-face adversary but a shrewd and calculating antagonist that could actually exist in a campus. Roopesh is a natural at his role and makes you think he didn’t skip a beat since his last outing as the young Aadu Thoma.

Tovino brings in his A-game for his roles – as Paul and also student leader Kochaniyan who lived in the 1970s. His screen presence doesn’t dim one bit even as he plays a college youth who is more of an introvert. He then does a 180 degree turn as the student leader and flashes a brand of confidence that make it easy for the audience to identify.

Jino John and Vishnu Noolu also deserve special mention while Sudheer Karamana and Kalabhavan Shajon shine in their roles.

The director has also ensured that the movie is shot realistically by Prakash Velayudham and that adds to the flair of the film, which is more of a slice of life in the campuses of Kerala government colleges that an entertainer aimed at pleasing the audience. The music by Gopi Sunder also sustains that mood.



The movie though lacks a bit of punch in the first half as it focuses on building up to the events and also the characters. The twists in the later portions of the film though pick up the slack and it rushes to a satisfying end.

Oru Mexican Aparatha is not the typical campus film that audience are used to in Mollywood but that said, it’s a movie that the youth could identify with, and also takes an introspective look in student politics and the timely revamp required.