Director Rahul Ravindran tells a much-needed tale of a young woman taking life into her own hands and not crumbling in timidity. Rahul Ravindran who has also written the story does an extremely fine job in analyzing why a certain kind of men prefer their partners to be a doormat rather than self-assured. The messaging might be a little too much in the face for a section of audiences but there is no doubt about The Girlfriend being a much-needed feministic tale
Starcast: Rashmika Mandanna, Dheekshith Shetty, Anu Emanuel, Rao Ramesh, Rahul Ravindran and others
Genre: Drama
Story, screenplay, direction and dialogues: Rahul Ravindran
Producers: Dheeraj Mogileni and Vidya Koppineedi
Production house: Geeta Arts and Dheeraj Mogilnineni Entertainment
Music: Hesham Abdul Wahab
Cinematography: Krishnan Vasant
Running time: 2 hours and 18 minutes
Its easy to see why The Girlfriend has been dismissed as female propaganda by some. The movie’s strong social commentary on controlling men and their belief system has been laid out in a stark manner. This obviously hasn’t gone down well with a section of men who consider feminism as a propaganda. The initial reels of The Girlfriend feels like a sequel to Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Arjun Reddy in more ways than one. The characterization of Dheekshith Shetty’s Vikram right down to the entitled nature has a major echo of Vijay Devarakonda of that film. However, what separates a movie like The Girlfriend is the feministic gaze through which Rahul narrates the story. The gradual transformation of Rashmika Mandanna’s Bhooma from bearing the suffocation of a toxic boyfriend to eventually breaking the shackles has been dealt with the required sensitivity. By the climax viewers are rooting for Bhooma and when the moment comes with a Durga ma symbolism you want to clap hard.
Rashmika Mandanna and Dheekshith Shetty from The Girlfriend
The storyline of The Girlfriend primarily focuses on a soft natured girl Bhooma. Bhooma is an extremely timid personality with confidence issues. Her big solace are books making her choose MA English literature. Bhooma also has aspirations of becoming a writer Dheekshith Shetty is Vikram. The paths of Bhooma and Vikram cross leading to a tumultuous journey.
A strong aspect of The Girlfriend is the layered approach taken by Rahul Ravindran. The transformation of Bhooma becoming more assertive doesn’t happen in a jiffy. The film has numerous scenes showcasing Bhooma’s inner dilemmas through the use of magical realism and symbols. For example, there is fantastic pre interval sequence with Rohini Molleti. Rohini plays the mother of Vikram, she has no dialogues, but a palpable fear of her son’s aggressive nature comes out in a vivid way. she doesn’t make eye contact with the son for not even a second. There is a portion of Rashmika looking into the mirror while checking the album of her prospective mother-in-law. In the album a younger Rohini comes across as lively and Bhooma wonders why the woman sitting in front of her is so different. In the mirror Bhooma sees her future life in Rohini’s saree.
There is also a scene in the restroom where Rashmika feels the walls are literally closing on her reflecting the starting of suffocation. This use of imagery adds a lot to the movie’s emotional core. Rahul Ravindran also deserves credit for how he does a psychoanalysis of men like Vikram. The molding of a women into a more of a caretaker than an equal partner and the reasons behind this thought process has come out wonderfully. There is a very important scene in which Vikram extols his mother’s caring nature and further adds on how women of this generation cannot match to the older generation.
He concludes by saying temples can be built for mothers like them. There is also a casual mention of domestic abuse without any criticism. These small but important nuances add depth to both Bhooma and Vikram.
The Girlfriend also does a good job in celebrating a strong bond of sisterhood in the portions featuring Anu Emanuel and Rashmika. Anu Emanuel’s Durga initially has a major crush towards Vikram but his treatment of Bhooma makes her introspect. How the two bond over a play bringing a different side to Bhooma is a delight to watch in spite of the less scenes. Anu Emanuel lends in a lot of warmth especially in the scene where she strongly cautions Bhooma on Vikram not being the right guy for her.
Rahul Ravindran also has an extended cameo as literature HOD. The role is an extension of Rahul’s real-life beliefs on the importance of female autonomy. Yes, the conversations between Rashmika and Rahul spells out the message a little too explicitly nevertheless Rahul does a fine job in portraying empathetic nature.
The biggest ace of The Girlfriend though is Rashmika’s fantastic performance. The actress absolutely imbibes the different shades of Bhooma. Whether it’s the initial timidity or gradually taking control of her life. The actress especially shines in showcasing the suffocation of Bhooma just through body language. Similarly, she owns the climatic moments too with ma Durga symbolism. The confidence with which Rashmika let’s it all out in a large campus crowd will give goosebumps. Dheekshith Shetty as the controlling boyfriend with a regressive thought process also makes his presence amply felt. The role doesn’t slip into a caricature at any point thanks to both the writing and the performance. The way he gradually brings out the manipulative streak under a supposedly caring nature is a treat to watch. Rao Ramesh as Bhooma’s father has a short but important role. He holds a mirror image to Vikram even though the scenes are overdramatic.
The music of Hesham Abdul Wahab is soulful too. The climactic song “Needhe Katha” is very intense working as a perfect culmination for Bhooma’s journey. Krishnan Vasanth’s cinematography is also of a fine standard especially in the scenes of magic realism.
Final word: The Girlfriend isn’t for those looking for comfort but for fans of feminist stories with strong women the film is a treat to watch.
