“I don’t mean to sound cryptic, but I’d rather not give too much away and spoil the fun,” says actor-writer-director Rahul Ravindran about his Telugu film The Girlfriend, starring Rashmika Mandanna, releasing on November 7. Both, he says, feel a sense of gratitude as a story close to their hearts readies for release.
An incident Rahul heard of in college stayed with him for years. In the early 2010s, a popular song sparked a trend in South Indian cinema. “That song — which I’ll keep unnamed for now — became part of a movement. I told myself that one day I’d make a film that shifts the gaze,” he says. “The Girlfriend isn’t a response to it, but it did trigger a thought. The story, characters and emotions evolved from there. The male protagonist came first, though the perspective through which I tell the story is different.”
Shifting dynamic
When Rahul debuted as a writer-director in 2018 with the relationship drama Chi La Sow, it caught everyone by surprise. The film went on to win the National Award for Best Original Screenplay. Between 2017 and 2019, Telugu cinema entered one of its most dynamic phases, with films across budgets exploring new themes and genres. Rahul recalls, “The other day, Sesh (actor-writer Adivi Sesh) mentioned that right after the Baahubali films, the industry was flush with funds — producers had a bigger appetite for risks.”
Actor, writer, director Rahul Ravindran
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Things have changed since then. Post-pandemic, producers and directors have grown cautious, citing dwindling theatre footfalls. Rahul explains, “Internet and OTT penetration shot up during the pandemic. Add to that the rising cost of living, and people have less disposable income. No one wants to fight traffic to watch something repetitive. But if the promos promise something fresh and the film is engaging, audiences will show up, and even forgive a few missteps.”
While aware of this shifting audience dynamic, Rahul says he does not let it influence his writing. “The first draft has to be the purest form of the story. It’s only later — during budgeting and casting — that we need to be mindful of the environment.”
Incompatible relationships
The promos of The Girlfriend have already sparked curiosity. Rahul says the trailer reveals only a fraction of the story. “When I conceived this a decade ago, we weren’t using words like ‘toxic’ to describe relationships,” he says. “Many think it’s a story about toxicity, but I see it as one about incompatibility. Rashmika tells me this film will feel like a warm hug for girls stuck in uncomfortable relationships. I’d say it’s also for the boys who lack clarity or emotional maturity. At 21 or 23, a guy might believe he’s being the perfect boyfriend without realising why a girl pulls away. Sometimes, they just need another perspective. I hope this film makes even five percent of them think.”
Deekshith Shetty and Rashmika Mandanna
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Incidentally, The Girlfriend wasn’t the first film Rahul and Rashmika had planned under Geetha Arts. In 2021, they were set to collaborate on a different story. But the disruptions caused by the second and third waves of COVID-19 forced Rashmika to reshuffle dates for her existing commitments. “We weren’t filming for about nine months,” Rahul recalls. “And I felt the story we had then no longer felt relevant. Producer Dheeraj mentioned to Rashmika another idea I’d spoken to him about earlier. She asked for the script, said she’d read it over the next few days — but called me the very next day and said, ‘This is a story that needs to be told.’ We began filming in just over two months.”
Reflecting on his writing process, Rahul says the story first takes shape in fragments in his mind. Once the structure is clear, he begins writing. The screenplay for The Girlfriend was completed in just 12 days. “After writing the first ten pages, I shared them with a friend to see if he could predict where the story was headed,” he says. “His feedback sparked a new line of thought. This is the first time a story evolved while I was writing it. It wasn’t difficult — I’d start around 11 a.m. and go on till 6 or 7 in the evening. The eagerness to see where it was going made the process enjoyable.”
Intuition versus a calculated approach
Rashmika Mandanna
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
For a relationship drama to resonate, performances are key. Rahul credits Rashmika Mandanna and Deekshith Shetty for bringing emotional depth to the story. “Rashmika is intuitive. I’d talk to her in detail about the character, situation, and dialogues, and she’d absorb everything. Her first three takes are usually magical, so I’d ask my cinematographer, Krishnan Vasant, to make sure we captured every moment,” he says. “Deekshith, on the other hand, rehearses meticulously and fine-tunes every detail before facing the camera. He can deliver 50 takes with the same intensity. As a director, it was a joy adapting to each actor’s process.”
There is already buzz that the censor board was impressed with The Girlfriend, suggesting it has the potential to win a National Award. Rahul, however, does not dwell on that. “I’m just waiting to see how the audience responds,” he says.
He also plays a brief but pivotal role in the film — as Rashmika’s voice of reason when her character is at a crossroads. “I’m in just five or six scenes,” he smiles. “We had considered other actors initially, but my team bulldozed me into doing it.”
Published – November 05, 2025 03:33 pm IST
