Movie Name: The Girlfriend
Rating: 2.5/5
Cast: Rashmika Mandanna, Deekshith Shetty, Anu Emmanuel, and Rao Ramesh
Director: Rahul Ravindran
Produced By: Geetha Arts and Dheeraj Mogilineni Entertainments
Release Date: 7th November 2025
Rashmika Mandanna’s “The Girlfriend” caught everyone’s attention with interesting promos and posters. The film received positive reviews from its early premiereus, and it also became famous for some online controversy involving the film’s director, Rahul Ravindran. Putting all that aside, let’s check how the film has been made in our review.
Story:
The Girlfriend follows the story of Bhoomi (Rashmika Mandanna) and her relationship with Vicky (Dheekshith Shetty). It explores how their bond turns toxic and how Bhoomi decides to deal with it or break free from it.
Performances:
Rashmika delivers an impressive performance as Bhoomi, making the character feel real and relatable. She shines especially in the emotional scenes. While it may not be her career-best performance, it is definitely a strong and effective one. Dheekshith Shetty performs well in his role too.
Rahul Ravindran’s part is just average, while Rao Ramesh plays the typical father role seen in many films. Roshni appears briefly but leaves a solid impression, and Anu Emmanuel does a fine job in her limited screen time.
Analysis:
Director Rahul Ravindran, known for Chi La Sow and Manmadhudu 2, tries to tell a relationship-based love story set in a college atmosphere. The first half moves at a normal pace and takes time to build up the boyfriend-girlfriend drama. Apart from a few good dialogues and moments, there’s nothing much to highlight, though the pace improves as it reaches the interval.
The second half has more drama and emotional moments. While some developments feel predictable, the initial part after the interval keeps you interested. However, the crucial breakup scene could have been handled better, and from there, the film suffers from uneven storytelling despite a decent ending.
Rahul Ravindran’s sincere attempt is visible, but the film falls short in developing the lead characters and their emotional depth. Some scenes do strike a chord, but the overall impact is limited
Positives:
- Rashmika Mandanna’s Natural Performance
- Scenes Towards Interval
- A Few Crucial/Effective Scenes
- Music
Negatives:
- Slow Pace
- Weak Handling Of Lead Characters
- Ordinary Effect Of Emotional Scenes
The Girlfriend Review and Verdict:
In the end, The Girlfriend works mainly because of Rashmika Mandanna’s performance, a few well-executed scenes, and good music. However, it remains a fairly ordinary experience that doesn’t evoke the strong emotions it aims for.
