In the crowded and chaotic world of Telugu romantic dramas where fairy-tale endings all too often paper over the rough patches of real life - The Girlfriend movie comes crashing down like a ton of bricks - raw, ugly and heartbreakingly human. The film is the return to the helm for Rahul Ravindran after a six year break that's been sitting there waiting since Manmadhudu 2 & this female lead story, starring Rashmika Mandanna & Dheekshith Shetty, doesn't just look at love - it picks it apart - peeling back the layers until the whole illusion comes crashing down. Releasing on November 7 2025, to some praise & a lot of people feeling deeply uncomfortable, the filma is 2 hours 15 minutes of unflinching emotional exploration & a seriously career defining performance from Mandanna. It's not an easy watch but in it's brutal honesty it's a must see, a reminder that not all love stories tidy up with a happy song - some just stop dead in silence.
The film is about Bhooma, played by Mandanna, a happy go lucky girl whose perfect relationship with Vikram, played by Shetty, goes haywire with control, suspicion and self reflection. What starts as playful banter and secret glances – captured beautifully by Krishnan Vasant’s cinematography, which lights up Hyderabad’s streets with a warm and misleading glow – soon takes a dark turn. Bhooma’s idea of a “proper break” isn’t just a rom-com cliché; it sets off a chain of arguments, family involvement and deep self introspection. Ravindran, known for his character driven storytelling as seen in Chi La Sow, weaves a story more about the dangers of emotional dependence than the obvious villain. The script written by the director is clever with references to contemporary relationship issues – fake social media appearances, societal pressure on women and the fine line between love and obsession – without being preachy. Instead, it feels real and Hesham Abdul Wahab’s music goes from gentle acoustic to jarring strings as Bhooma’s mental state unravels.
In his first real bite of a Telugu lead role since Sapthami, Dheekshith Shetty holds down the fort as Vikram, a temptingly enigmatic lover whose incredible charm is counterbalanced by a crippling inner fragility. Vikram isnt some mindless monster - hell, hes a pretty run-of-the-mill bloke, just fighting his own personal demons. His relationship with the protagonist is all over the map : from sweet nothings that quickly turn bitter to the deafening silences that say way more than words ever could - and the whole time, its hard not to feel a little uneasy. The rest of the cast do a great job of elevating the whole thing : Anu Emmanuel plays Bhooma's voice of reason, cracking jokes and offering keen insight as her character's best friend, and then there's Rao Ramesh and Rohini who bring a subtle but definite gravitas to the family situation. And (though just a cameo) - Rahul Ravindran plays a straight-up dry witty therapist, cutting down to size with his trademark deadpan humor.
What gives The Girlfriend an edge over your average romance is that it resists the urge to sugarcoat the messy parts of a relationship. Ravindran's direction is all about getting the most out of those intense moments, often keeping the camera rolling for what feels like an eternity. It's a technique that makes you feel like you're right there in the midst of the emotional chaos - think of all the raw emotion of Marriage Story mashed up with the intense passion of Arjun Reddy, but this time through a woman's eyes. The film's climax is just as impactful, instead of an explosive denouement we get a slow unravelling that leaves a quiet ache - and then just lingers there, forcing viewers to scratch their heads and wonder what they might have missed about their own relationships. The pacing does sag a bit in the middle act, mainly because those arguments start to feel a bit repetitive, and I have to admit the subplot about Bhooma's ambitions outside the relationship feels a bit half-finished. But those are pretty minor complaints in a film that clearly puts a premium on honesty over slickness.
At a time when Telugu cinema is starting to break free from traditional moulds, The Girlfriend is a shining example of just how far Mandanna's star power can take a film and Ravindran's skill as a storyteller. Its messy and often uncomfortable – a wild rollercoaster ride that refuses to tie everything up with a bow yet somehow still manages to leave you feeling a little bit better about the world. Its the kind of film that says "I get it, I see that" to anyone who has ever looked at themselves in the mirror and asked "am I really a girlfriend or a boyfriend?" The reason you wont be humming the soundtrack on the way home from the cinema is because you'll be too busy replaying the quiet moments that happen after the drama dies down.