The Girlfriend Review – Heartfelt Drama That Lacks Depth

Director Rahul Ravindran’s relationship drama aims for emotional authenticity but seldom rises above familiar terrain.

Rahul Ravindran’s The Girlfriend unfolds as an intimate portrait of love, disillusionment, and the quiet ache that lingers after a relationship unravels. At its centre is Bhoomi (Rashmika Mandanna), whose romance with Vicky (Dheekshith Shetty) evolves from tenderness to turbulence, tracing the emotional fallout of a bond corroded by insecurity and imbalance. What begins as a seemingly conventional college romance gradually exposes the bruises of a toxic relationship, even as it strives to leave viewers with a note of introspection.

Rashmika shoulders much of the film’s emotional weight, lending Bhoomi both vulnerability and restraint. She finds moments of authenticity in scenes that might otherwise feel routine, especially in the second half when the emotional tenor deepens. Dheekshith Shetty, given near-equal narrative space, is assured and convincing, though his arc feels constrained by the writing’s modest ambitions. The supporting ensemble is intentionally sparse — a choice that both tightens the focus and limits the film’s texture. Rahul Ravindran appears briefly in a role that promises significance but fades without impact, while Rao Ramesh, as Bhoomi’s father, and Roshni, in a single-scene turn, provide fleeting grace notes.

Technically, The Girlfriend is understated but polished. Composer Hesham Abdul Wahab’s background score lends emotional coherence, capturing the ebb and flow of romantic melancholy. The songs themselves, though serviceable, rarely linger beyond their immediate moment. Krishnan Vasant’s cinematography embraces the film’s unadorned world with clarity, framing its college corridors and domestic spaces with a quiet realism. Backed by Geetha Arts and Dheeraj Mogilineni Entertainment, the production maintains a clean, grounded aesthetic befitting its theme.

Ravindran, known for Chi La Sow and Manmadhudu 2, shifts his gaze inward this time — towards the fragility of youthful love. Yet, while the film’s intentions are sincere, its storytelling rhythm falters. The first half meanders through an extended college setup, taking nearly an hour to arrive at its central conflict. The emotional trajectory feels linear, with few surprising inflections to sustain engagement. It’s only during a perceptive pre-interval sequence — when Bhoomi meets Vicky’s mother and confronts a disquieting mirror of her own future — that the film briefly finds its emotional pulse.

The latter half fares marginally better, with the discovery of the relationship by Bhoomi’s father injecting a degree of tension. However, much of what follows unfolds in familiar beats — predictably structured and emotionally safe. Ravindran’s writing, though earnest, seldom probes beneath the surface of its characters’ pain. Even moments that should bristle with confrontation, such as the breakup sequence, are staged with an almost studied restraint, leaving little lasting resonance.

Despite flashes of insight, The Girlfriend never fully escapes its own restraint. It aspires to emotional depth but often settles for observation. What remains is a film defined more by intention than impact — graceful in tone, sincere in craft, yet curiously muted in feeling.

Overall, The Girlfriend is thoughtfully made but emotionally muted drama that lingers at the edges of its own potential.