Review: The Girlfriend: Genuine But Not So Powerful

 

Movie: The Girlfriend
Rating: 2.5/5

Cast: Rashmika Mandanna, Deekshith Shetty, Rao Ramesh, Rahul Ravnidran, Rohini Molleti, Anu Emmanuel and others

Director: Rahul Ravindran

Produced By: Dheeraj Mogilineni Entertainments

Release Date: 07-11-2025

Story:

The story revolves around Bhooma Devi, played by Rashmika Mandanna, a soft-spoken and innocent girl who joins college to pursue her MA in English. She soon gets involved with Vikram (Deekshith Shetty), a short-tempered student from another department. As their relationship grows, Bhooma begins to feel suffocated by Vikram’s possessive, aggressive, and controlling nature. The rest of the film follows her emotional journey and the decision she makes to reclaim her life.

Performances:

Rashmika Mandanna delivers a convincing performance, especially in a few key emotional scenes. Deekshith Shetty, known for Dasara, fits well into Vikram’s role and performs effectively. However, Rao Ramesh and Rahul Ravindran are underused, while Rohini Molleti leaves an impact with just one silent scene. Anu Emmanuel is decent in her supporting role.

What Works:

The film has some well-crafted moments—like the scene where Bhooma meets Vikram’s mother and realizes what her future might look like. The interval sequence builds tension effectively, and a few conversations between Bhooma and Vikram feel genuine. The second half begins predictably with a scene involving Bhooma’s father, but it sets the tone for what follows. The climax is acceptable, though it lacks emotional punch.

What doesn't work:

Director Rahul Ravindran clearly had a sincere intention, but the way he introduces the characters feels incomplete. Vikram’s toxic behavior lacks a proper background, and Bhooma’s innocence seems out of place in a modern setting. These gaps weaken the character development. The screenplay moves slowly and struggles to maintain emotional momentum. The most crucial scene, the breakup, needed more intensity, but it’s treated like any other moment. The climax has a solid setup but ends too abruptly.

The Girlfriend Review and Verdict:

With sincere effort, Rahul Ravindran delivers some striking scenes in The Girlfriend. However, the movie lacks the needed depth and stays on the surface for the most part, and misses the required impact.