The Girlfriend Review— A Gentle Story That Fails to Hit Hard”
Sarkar Rating:2.5/5 Release Date : Nov 07, 2025
Cast
Rashmika Mandanna, Dheekshith Shetty, Anu Emmanuel, Rao Ramesh, Rohini & Others
Crew
Director : Rahul Ravindran
Producers : Vidya Koppineedi & Dheeraj Mogilineni
Music Director : Hesham Abdul Wahab
Cinematographer : Krishnan Vasant
Editor : Chota K Prasad
Story
The Girlfriend revolves around Bhoomi (Rashmika Mandanna) and her relationship with Vicky (Dheekshith Shetty). It explores the evolution of their romance, the cracks that lead to their breakup, and Bhoomi’s emotional journey through a toxic relationship. The film aims to deliver a meaningful message about love, vulnerability, and self-worth.
Performances
Rashmika Mandanna delivers a restrained and believable performance as Bhoomi. She handles the emotional sequences well, especially in the film’s key moments that explore the pain of realization and heartbreak. Dheekshith Shetty, who enjoys almost equal screen time, complements her effectively with a natural and grounded portrayal. Both leads manage to bring sincerity to their roles even when the writing limits their depth.
Analysis
Directed by Rahul Ravindran, known for Chi La Sow and Manmadhudu 2, The Girlfriend is a relationship drama set against a college backdrop. The film begins with a light and simple tone, taking nearly 45 minutes to establish the central conflict between the leads.
The first half feels somewhat flat, with both Bhoomi and Vicky’s characters written in a one-dimensional manner. Their relationship lacks surprising emotional highs or lows, and the pacing remains slow. However, the pre-interval sequence—particularly the scene where Bhoomi meets Vicky’s mother—adds much-needed emotional weight and is executed beautifully. This block stands out as one of the film’s most engaging portions.
Despite neat casting and a well-crafted interval, the first half struggles to offer much substance. Supporting characters like those played by Anu Emmanuel, Rao Ramesh, and the director himself appear more like fillers than meaningful additions to the narrative.
The second half begins with the revelation of Bhoomi’s relationship to her father, leading to events that unfold exactly as one would expect. While there are occasional emotionally effective moments, the overall progression remains predictable. The climax delivers a thoughtful message, but one that feels familiar.
Rahul Ravindran’s sincere effort is evident, yet crucial moments—such as the breakup scene—lack the emotional punch that stronger writing or direction could have provided. The dialogues rarely stand out, and the script only skims the surface of its central theme instead of exploring it deeply.
The supporting cast is underutilized, with Rao Ramesh and Rahul Ravindran himself adding little to the emotional depth of the story.
Overall, The Girlfriend works in parts but struggles to maintain consistent emotional engagement. It’s a heartfelt but surface-level exploration of toxic love—well-intentioned, yet short of making a lasting impact.
Performances by Supporting Actors
Rahul Ravindran appears in a minor role that could have been more meaningful. Rao Ramesh, as Bhoomi’s father, does well in his limited screen time, delivering his trademark composed performance. Senior actor Roshni makes a brief appearance and leaves a pleasant impression despite the brevity of her role.
Music and Technical Aspects
Hesham Abdul Wahab’s background score is a definite strength, elevating several emotional moments and enhancing the overall mood of the film. The songs, however, are serviceable rather than memorable. Krishnan Vasant’s cinematography captures the film’s simplicity well, maintaining a consistent visual tone. Production values by Geetha Arts and Dheeraj Mogilineni Entertainment are solid, matching the scale and tone of a relationship drama.
Highlights
Sincere attempt to portray the girl’s side of a toxic relationship
Honest performances by Rashmika and Dheekshith
Effective background score
Meaningful closing message
Drawbacks
Predictable narrative with few surprises
Shallow writing that only touches the surface of emotional themes
Lack of depth in supporting characters
Uneven pacing, especially in the first half
Verdict
The Girlfriend is a sincere yet uneven relationship drama that touches upon important themes but fails to explore them deeply. It’s watchable for its intent and lead performances but remains a routine, predictable narrative that doesn’t quite rise above its potential.
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