Rashmika Mandanna‘s ‘The Girlfriend’ has been creating quite a stir ahead of its release. Initial reviews from the special premiere have highlighted her strong performance as Bhooma. Directed by Rahul Ravindran, ‘The Girlfriend’ also stars Dheekshith Shetty, Anu Emmanuel, Rao Ramesh, Rohini, and others. This film marks the first time Rashmika and Dheekshith have worked together, and their new chemistry is a great delight for the audience. In fact, the trailer and songs have already created quite a stir in the city. The film will release on November 7 in multiple languages, including Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, and Malayalam.
The Telugu film ‘The Girlfriend’ is a romantic drama that delves deep into the complexities and emotional turmoil of modern relationships, told primarily from the perspective of the female protagonist.
The film revolves around Bhooma (played by Rashmika Mandanna), a sensitive, studious, and initially hesitant young woman, and her boyfriend Vikram (played by Dheekshith Shetty), who is portrayed as intense, emotional, and somewhat toxic.
The story begins with the couple’s initial, infatuated college love affair. Vikram becomes convinced that Bhooma is the right match for him and even proposes marriage outright. As the relationship progresses, the mood shifts from playful romance to emotional turmoil. Bhooma begins to understand the toxic nature of Vikram’s behavior, which includes possessiveness, anger, and erratic behavior.
Bhooma finds herself increasingly uncertain and suffocating in the relationship, constantly questioning whether she truly loves Vikram or just his imagination.
The trailer highlights a pivotal moment where Bhooma nervously suggests they take a “proper break.” Trapped in a maze of hesitation and fear, her struggle intensifies, leading to a potential confrontation when she tells Vikram something. Her friend, Durga (played by Anu Emmanuel), tries to help her deal with the complicated situation, making her question whether Vikram is really right for her.
The story moves towards a raw and intense conclusion, with Bhooma struggling with her doubts, confronting her father (played by Rao Ramesh), Vikram, and a radical change in her own behavior, ultimately focusing on her journey to find clarity about her relationship and the label of being a “girlfriend.”
‘The Girlfriend’ is an emotional and character-driven story that explores the dark side of love and a young woman’s struggle to reclaim her authority from a complicated and toxic relationship.
The Girlfriend Review:
Dheekshith Shetty was also praised for his heartfelt portrayal and strong on-screen chemistry with Rashmika.
Initial reviews of The Girlfriend A user wrote on Twitter, “The movie is really good! Rashmika has done an amazing job, especially in the climax 🔥. Hero Dhikshit also did a good job. The direction was impressive, and the emotional scenes were very touching. Anu Emmanuel’s character added a nice twist. #TheGirlFriend.”
The Girlfriend Climax Review On the other hand, another user revealed that The Girlfriend’s climax is the best part of the movie and will make you cry. The tweet read, “No breaks, no thrills, no climax, no tears. 🥺 Rashmika’s acting + Dhikhit’s screen presence = magic! Rashmika’s acting and Dhikhit’s charm make me emotional… Direction, emotion, and acting—everything is the best, Asla 🔥. The Girlfriend is not just a movie; it’s a feeling ❤️.”
Meanwhile, The Girlfriend is drawing sharp comparisons with Vijay Deverakonda’s Arjun Reddy. Director Rahul Ravindran said, “Arjun Reddy is a cult film that has brought a huge success to the cinema, and it is a much bigger film. My film is not even close to it, and to be honest, I only remembered this so-called similarity after people brought it up on social media. I had thought of the story long before Arjun Reddy came along.”
Talking about the film, Rahul also said that the audience will forget about star Rashmika within the first ten minutes and will be completely connected to the emotional journey of her character. Her portrayal is raw, real, and deeply touching, and her acting, dressing style, and depth of emotions will haunt the audience long after the film ends.
There are already rumors that the censor board has been impressed with ‘The Girlfriend,’ suggesting that it has the potential to win a National Award. However, Rahul is tight-lipped about that. “I’m just waiting to see the audience’s reaction,” he said.
He also plays a brief but important role in the film—as the voice of reason for Rashmika’s character when she faces a turning point. “I’m in just five or six scenes,” he laughs. “We initially thought of other actors, but my team made me do it.”
The film is produced by Vidya Koppineedi and Dheeraj Mogilineni under the banners of Geetha Arts and Dheeraj Mogilineni Entertainment. Background music is by Prashanth Vihari, and music is directed by Hesham Abdul Wahab. The film is shot by Krishnan Vasant.
Rashmika Mandanna’s work front
The 29-year-old actress Rashmika Mandanna was recently seen in Aditya Sarpotdar’s Thamma alongside Ayushmann Khurrana, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Paresh Rawal, and others. She will next be seen in the action thriller film ‘Mysaa,’ directed by Rawindra Pulle.