The Girlfriend – Netflix – Original Telugu (Dubbed in many languages)
The movie begins where Kabeer Singh ends, a tight slap on Arjun Reddy’s face. And that’s exactly why I went ahead and watched this one.
What’s interesting, is the fact that the storyline is pretty much the same. The college stud falls head over heels in love with a shy and introvert girl. Unlike the Arjun Reddy girl, this one feels suffocated with the Alpha Male and his possessiveness. His insistence on her wearing dupatta, feeding him, pampering him, like his mother, his fetish for PDA, his anger issues, suicide threats and his love for slaps….he borders on the unhealthy Kabeer Singh.
The Girlfriend thankfully doesn’t glorify the Alpha, it methodically decodes his toxicity. All seems hunky dory, very romantic in the beginning, but as the story unfolds, you realize how very manipulative and controlling this guy is. And how his girlfriend feels like a captive forever. He isn’t physically abusive initially, but he traps her psyche, gaslighting in the name of love.
All hell breaks loose when she tries to distance herself, his true character pops out. But her parting shot is applause worthy!!
The characters and settings are pretty relatable, so are the performances. I wouldn’t say the acting was brilliant, but Rashmika Mandana and Deekshith Shetty put up a decent show.
The Girlfriend is mature with no Melodrama whatsoever, the pace is good and it presents an ordinary self- respecting girl’s POV. That a girl doesn’t always need a saviour but an equal partner.
The movie apparently didn’t perform well at the box office and sadly, Arjun Reddy/ Kabeer Singh did. That of course shows the public mindset, but nevertheless, The Girlfriend is worth a try.
