The Girlfriend – An Impactful & Thought-Provoking Relationship Drama

The Girlfriend is a 2025 Telugu-language Romantic film written and directed by Rahul Ravindran. The film has Rashmika Mandanna & Dheekshith Shetty playing the lead roles while Anu Emmanuel, Rao Ramesh, Rohini, Gayatri Bhargavi, Riya, Shanya, Aswitha, Sanjana & others are seen in important supporting roles. The music is composed by Hesham Abdul Wahab & Prashanth R Vihari, while the film is produced by Vidya Koppineedi & Dheeraj Mogilineni under Geetha Arts & Dheeraj Mogilineni Entertainment banners.
Story:
Bhuma Devi (Rashmika Mandanna) is a very innocent, sensitive, and naive girl who joins MA degree in a Hyderabad college. As the first year passes by, Vikram (Deekshith Shetty), the college stud, falls in love with her after liking her innocence and in fact he sees his mother (Rohini) in Bhuma.
On the other hand, Bhuma is hesitant, and as soon as she realizes what’s happening, Vikram makes her fall for him as he takes the first step of kissing her. As time flies by, Bhuma slowly gets to see Vikram’s other side, his toxic behaviour and his over-possessiveness.
Unable to get out of the relationship, Bhuma feels suffocated within herself. What steps will she take later? Is Bhuma really in love with Vikram? What role does Durga (Anu Emmanuel) play in their relationship? Needs to be seen in the film.
What about on-screen performances?
Rashmika Mandanna has lived in the character of Bhooma. On the outside, she smiles, but inside, she carries deep pain, and this has been effectively portrayed by the talented actress. The way she expresses that emptiness through her eyes is commendable. Her close-up shots in the breakup scene and her emotional outburst in the climax deserve applause.
Deekhisth Shetty also shines as the toxic masculine man who wants to control his lover. As the story unfolds, Vikram’s character gradually triggers genuine frustration in the audience — a clear testament to Deekhisth’s convincing performance.
Anu Emmanuel does well in a key role as Durga, but her character arc needed better writing. In fact, even if you do not show her falling for the hero at the start, the impact of her key scenes with Rashmika would’ve been the same.
Rao Ramesh as the heroine’s father and Rohini as the hero’s mother are superb in their limited roles. But Rohini’s character needed better treatment as her part feels half-baked and at times a bit overdone, too.
Gayatri Bhargavi, Riya, Shanya, Aswitha, Sanjan,a and all others are decent in their small supporting roles.
What about off-screen talents?
The story by Rahul Ravindran is intense and deep, which perfectly portrays the emotions of a girl who is in a toxic relationship. It also conveys an important message about individual choices and shows the courage of a girl who wants to break free from her cage that is set up by her boyfriend and her father.
The screenplay is well-written in most parts. However, because the story prioritizes emotions over pace, it feels a bit slow at times. There are a few unwanted scenes, especially in the first half. The whole ragging scenes in the beginning feel unnecessary, and Anu Emmanuel’s scenes with the hero didn’t have any impact.
In the second half too, some parts look a bit dragged. The English stage play, the hero’s mother scene, and the pre-climax portions are a few. But the film ends with a strong scene that will surely be treated with loud applause in the theatres and will give everyone a lot of hope.
Director Rahul Ravindran does an amazing job with his craft. His presentation is excellent, and his narrative, though it had a few issues here & there, is passable as the thing he wanted to convey has more weight and impact. The mirror shot in the hero’s house, the interval scene in the shower, and the climax scene on stage reveal how skilled a director he is and how well he understands the emotions of his female character. Kudos to him for coming up with an original script and giving us a thought-provoking film.
The dialogues needed more refinement. The excessive use of English lines could’ve been reduced, as there was little need for it in the narrative. Also, the conversations lacked proper flow. Especially the ones between the lead pair and the conversations between the heroine and her father needed better lines.
The songs by Hesham Abdul Wahab and the background score by Prashanth R Vihari are impressive. ‘Nadhive’ and ‘Em Jaruguthondhi’ songs are instant feelers from the album, while ‘Needhe Katha’ has a lot of depth that sums up the film. The background score too gels well with the narrative. As the film has fewer dialogues and the emotions are shown visually, the background score gives life to many scenes.
The cinematography by Krishnan Vasant is outstanding. The film mostly runs inside a college & hostel, and he makes sure that there is no monotonous feeling that is created. The framing is on point, and the lighting choices go well with the mood of the scene.
The editing by Chota K Prasad is good in parts. But there are a lot of unwanted scenes in the first half and in the middle portions of the second half, which could’ve been chopped off.
Special mention to the lyric writer- Rakendu Mouli, for the beautiful lines he has written in all the songs. ‘Needhe Katha’ has surely got the best lines in the film, and they capture the soul of the narrative.
The production design is impressive, the costumes look natural & apt, and the sound design is fresh.
The production values by Geetha Arts & Dheeraj Mogilineni Entertainment are excellent.
What’s Hot?
* Rashmika Mandanna’s Performance
* Deekhisth Shetty’s Performance
* Interval Scene & Break Up Scene
* Hard-Hitting Climax Portions
* Relatable Emotions & Intense Conflict Point
* Good Songs & Decent Background Score
* Cinematography & Production Values
* Message At The End & First Rate Direction
What’s Not?
* Convoluted Screenplay
* Few Unnecessary Scenes In The First Half
* Vikram’s Type Needed Proper Establishment
* Rohini & Anu Emmanuel’s Roles Felt Half-Baked
* Dialogues Needed More Refinement
* Second Half Could’ve Been Tight
 
Verdict: On the whole, The Girlfriend is an honest attempt with a perfect depiction of female emotions in a toxic relationship. The soul-stirring emotions, especially in the second half, will surely be connected to all the women and girls out there. A true feminist perspective that deserves a theatrical one time watch.
Telugubulletin.com Rating: 2.75/5
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