‘The Girlfriend’ movie review: A brilliant Rashmika fronts Rahul Ravindran’s slow burn, brave take on stifling relationships

The Girlfriend is a film for the ages. Had it been made a decade or two ago, it would have felt just as relevant, and if revisited decades later, it would still hold true. Its layered exploration of men, women, and the childhood experiences that shape their adult relationships is timeless. Writer and director Rahul Ravindran crafts a slow-burn drama that cuts close to the bone — close enough to make us pause and reflect on our emotional maturity and approach to love.

Headlined by Rashmika Mandanna, the film is a refreshing counterpoint to the larger-than-life, alpha-male-driven narratives that have dominated mainstream cinema of late. Its courage lies not only in addressing suffocating relationships but also in the smaller, quieter details often considered too niche for box-office appeal.

Bhooma Devi (Rashmika), a postgraduate student of English Literature, introduces us to one such detail. When her professor, Sudhir (Rahul Ravindran, in an extended cameo), enters class and wryly admits he sometimes wonders whether his course will still have takers — or whether he will still have a job — it is a sharp comment on a world increasingly skewed towards degrees that guarantee high-paying careers.

When Bhooma says that books and stories allow her to escape into another world, and that one day she hopes to write for young readers, we glimpse the contours of her inner life. The film peels back her layers slowly, revealing her vulnerabilities and convictions with care. Literary references, including Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own, appear organically within the narrative, adding texture without alienating audiences who might not share her literary inclinations.

Now for the bigger picture. The charming college heartthrob Vikram (Dheekshith Shetty) falls for the studious Bhooma (Rashmika Mandanna) — the salwar-clad girl who wants to be the ideal daughter her father (Rao Ramesh) would approve of, free from distractions. On the surface, it is a familiar mainstream trope, but The Girlfriend gives it a sharper, more honest edge.

Rahul Ravindran examines the psychology behind why someone like Vikram gravitates towards a woman like Bhooma instead of a bolder, more self-assured one — embodied by Durga (Anu Emmanuel). The film does not romanticise his choices or demonise confident women as less deserving of affection; instead, it presents the uncomfortable truth with refreshing candour.

Within the broader arc of a stifling relationship — where a woman is emotionally moulded into the ideal future wife — Rahul Ravindran addresses an uncomfortable truth, both in society and cinema: a man’s desire for a partner who resembles his mother. At times, this stems from affection and admiration for nurturing qualities; more often, it comes from a deep-seated sense of entitlement — the expectation that every aspect of a man’s life must be cared for.

The scenes in which Bhooma nearly becomes a house help — cleaning Vikram’s hostel room or fetching his lunch in the canteen — may feel dramatic, but they are also painfully revealing. The relationship unfolds in a world of impressionable 20-somethings still learning to define themselves. Bhooma’s name itself symbolises resilience and rootedness, while her encounters with Durga, the self-assured foil, are laced with quiet mythological undertones that never overstate themselves.

Shorn of glamour and walking with a restrained grace that mirrors her guarded nature, Rashmika Mandanna delivers one of her most measured performances. She internalises Bhooma’s confusion, restraint, and vulnerability in love with an honesty that lingers long after the film ends.

In a standout scene, a theatre rehearsal becomes a tool for self-discovery — a moment of liberation followed by heartbreak that lays bare the fault lines in the relationship. Several smaller episodes, too, gradually heighten the tension. A conversation about the film Hi Nanna cleverly positions The Girlfriend as part of a growing canon of emotionally complex Telugu dramas.

A striking mirror scene featuring Rohini in a near-silent but powerful appearance delivers one of the film’s most potent moments. Equally evocative is a shower sequence, rich in metaphor, and a later scene in a college courtyard where Bhooma’s claustrophobia becomes palpable. A visual echo from Animal is also woven in, subtle yet deliberate. The film’s most visible metaphor arrives when Bhooma is literally ensnared by thick tree roots — a moment both symbolic and unsettling.

Composer Hesham Abdul Wahab and cinematographer Krishnan Vasant heighten the emotional intensity of these moments, their work perfectly attuned to the film’s mood without ever drawing attention away from it.

The film also benefits from Dheekshith Shetty’s finely calibrated performance. He brings charm to Vikram, revealing his manipulative streak gradually, never tipping into caricature. It is a role designed to evoke discomfort, and Dheekshith plays it with an unnerving precision.

For boys and men who wonder what could possibly be wrong in expecting a woman to simply be a “good, caring wife” in return for having her needs met, The Girlfriend holds up a mirror. Crucially, it does not do so by turning the story into a men-versus-women battle. Bhooma’s voice of reason comes from Rahul himself, and it feels almost as if he is playing an extension of his off-screen self — thoughtful, empathetic, and self-aware. Those familiar with his public persona and the sensitivity with which he speaks about gender and relationships will recognise the parallels.

Anu Emmanuel, too, leaves a quiet mark, her performance natural and assured, lending the story an added layer of nuance.

As the film gathers momentum, we find ourselves rooting for Bhooma — for her to reclaim her agency and make decisions for herself. The narrative also confronts the guilt, shame, and emotional wreckage that often follow a toxic breakup. Small, symbolic choices drive these moments home — like the scene in which a transformed Bhooma steps out without instinctively reaching for her dupatta.

At some level, Bhooma becomes every woman burdened by fear and guilt, torn between love and self-worth. The film asks a difficult but necessary question: is a relationship worth preserving if it doesn’t give equal space to both partners?

And then there is the cultural echo. Remember the viral song “Why This Kolaveri Di?” and the countless “soup boy” narratives glorified in cinema since? The Girlfriend urges its male viewers to look past the humour of such tropes — to look inward, to reflect, and to understand.

The Girlfriend is an important, brave film that asks uncomfortable questions and tells both girls and boys that relationships should not be claustrophobic.

Published – November 07, 2025 05:04 pm IST