Movie: The Girlfriend
Rating: 2.5/5
Banners: Geetha Arts & Dheeraj Mogilineni Entertainment
Cast: Rashmika Mandanna, Dheekshith Shetty, Anu Emmanuel, Rao Ramesh, Rohini and others
Music: Hesham Abdul Wahab
Background Score: Prashanth R Vihari
Director of Photography: Krishnan Vasant
Editor: Chota K Prasad
Production Designers: Ramakrishna & Monica
Producers: Vidya Koppineedim Dheeraj Mogilineni
Written and directed by: Rahul Ravindran
Release Date: November 7, 2025
The Girlfriend has created a strong buzz, not only because it features Rashmika Mandanna in the lead role but also due to the backing of producer Allu Aravind. For Rahul Ravindran, this film marks his third directorial venture.
Let’s take a look at what works in its favor.
Story:
Bhuma (Rashmika Mandanna), raised by her single father, joins Ramalingaiah College in Hyderabad to pursue master’s degree in English Literature.
Vikky (Deekshith Shetty), an engineering student from the same college, befriends her and soon falls in love. When Bhuma visits his hostel room to watch the downloaded film Hi Nanna, everything changes.
Vikky declares that she is his girlfriend; though hesitant, she accepts it, and their relationship begins.
It doesn’t take long for Bhuma to realize she is trapped in a controlling relationship. When her father brands her “characterless” for being involved with Vikky, she finds herself without support.
Unable to continue living under such constraints, she decides to break free. And at what cost?
Artistes’ Performances:
Rashmika Mandanna delivers a powerful performance. Though she initially appears a bit too mature to convincingly portray a college student, that impression quickly fades as the drama unfolds. As a young woman caught between a controlling boyfriend and an even more problematic father, she depicts her emotional turmoil with depth and conviction. The film is entirely her show; from the first frame to the last, Rashmika commands the screen with her stellar acting.
Deekshith Shetty is adequate in his role, while Rao Ramesh, despite playing an unrealistic character, performs it with sincerity.
Rohini, in a brief yet silent role as Deekshith’s mother, leaves a lasting impression.
Anu Emmanuel’s character, however, feels underwritten and confusing, with her presence in both the film and college appearing superficial.
Director Rahul Ravindran makes a brief appearance as a professor.
Technical Excellence:
Hesham Abdul Wahab’s two songs, Em Jarugutondi and Nadive, are pleasant to listen to but fail to create the same impact on screen.
Prashanth Vihari’s background score complements the film well in key moments, while the cinematography stands out in parts; particularly in visually creative sequences like the mirror scene. However, the film struggles with a sluggish pace, noticeable lag, and several unnecessary scenes.
The editing could have been much sharper, and the writing remains inconsistent.
Highlights:
Rashmika Mandanna’s performance
Mirror scene and interval bang
Drawback:
Slow pace
Many scenes lack required emotional impact and logic
Rao Ramesh’s characterization
Hostel scenes far from reality
Analysis
We’ve seen countless love stories where the male lead kisses the heroine, declares his love, and gives her no time or space to process it. These so-called “alpha male” romances continue to find an audience. Director Rahul Ravindran’s The Girlfriend, however, takes the opposite route; it attempts to show how toxic relationships can suffocate women and trap them in fear.
The film starts off like a typical campus romance, with the hero’s aggressive behavior setting the tone. But soon, the story shifts gears, aiming for deeper emotional exploration; though the results are uneven.
Some scenes strike the right chord, while others defy logic. For instance, Rashmika’s character first visits the hero’s hostel room to check on him after a police altercation. Later, he invites her again to his room to watch a movie. The ease with which male and female students enter each other’s hostel rooms in this supposedly disciplined college strains believability, making it hard to stay emotionally invested.
The film then reveals Deekshith Shetty’s true nature; a man obsessed with control, not just over his girlfriend but also his male friends. His mother, long subjugated by his late father, mirrors the same oppression. These sequences are passable, but the film truly shines when Rashmika’s character realizes that staying in the relationship could turn her into her boyfriend’s mother. The mirror scene, where she envisions her own future, is beautifully conceived, and the interval sequence is gripping.
However, the story derails once Rao Ramesh’s character enters. The film could have been far more powerful had it focused solely on Rashmika and Deekshith’s toxic relationship. Instead, introducing her father as an even more abusive and monstrous figure dilutes the main theme. His vulgar use of words like “hormones” while addressing his daughter, followed by an abrupt emotional reconciliation in the climax, feels jarring and inconsistent.
Anu Emmanuel’s subplot fares no better. When Deekshith paints obscene graffiti on her hostel door, the absence of any action from the college or hostel authorities feels absurd. Even more unrealistic is how other girls simply record the incident instead of supporting her.
At times, the film almost seems to suggest that every man is toxic. Rahul Ravindran’s own cameo as an English professor delivering moral lectures adds little value to the narrative.
Overall, The Girlfriend effectively sheds light on the suffocating nature of toxic relationships, anchored by Rashmika Mandanna’s superb performance. But its one-dimensional portrayal of men, illogical campus setting, and uneven writing make it difficult to fully connect. After a point, the film begins to drag.
Bottom-line: Toxic Love
