“The Girlfriend” is a film people can easily relate to in their own lives. It’s the best film of my career so far: actor Dheekshith Shetty
National crush Rashmika Mandanna and talented actor Dheekshith Shetty star together in the film “The Girlfriend.” The movie is being produced under the banners of Geetha Arts and Dheeraj Mogilineni Entertainment, with presentation by Allu Aravind. Directed by Rahul Ravindran, it is an intense, emotional love story, produced by Dheeraj Mogilineni and Vidya Koppineedi. The film, a refreshing take on romance, is set for a grand worldwide theatrical release in Hindi and Telugu on November 7, and in Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada on November 14th. During a recent interview, Dheekshith Shetty shared insights about the film and his experience working on it.
- After Dasara, this was the next major opportunity that came my way. Director Rahul Ravindran approached me for “The Girlfriend.” He told me Rashmika was playing the female lead and that they wanted me for the boyfriend’s role. He sent me the script and mentioned that he had noticed me in interviews during Dasara promotions and felt I would suit this character perfectly. After reading the script, I understood why he thought I was right for it. I’ve been working in multiple languages – Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam – but stories like The Girlfriend are rare. That’s why I knew I had to do it.
- Director Rahul had complete clarity on how the character of Vikram should be portrayed – his behavior, body language, and the way he speaks. Because of that clarity, it became easier for me to perform the role. Vikram’s character has multiple layers. Some people might assume he’s a toxic boyfriend after watching the trailer, but Rahul was very clear that Vikram shouldn’t come across as negative. Coming from a stage and film school background, I prepared deeply for the role and approached it methodically. For me, a film has to connect personally through its story – that’s always the most important thing.
- Usually, we see love stories presented in a certain way, but The Girlfriend explores romance from a new perspective. We often watch movies for entertainment, but some films stay with us – we carry their emotions and lessons beyond the theater. This film is one of those. Large-than-life movies are fun to watch, but we can’t always relate them to our real lives. The Girlfriend is filled with characters and moments that mirror our own experiences. Rashmika herself said in an interview that if she had watched a movie like this a few years ago, her outlook on life would have been different. I believe audiences between 18 and 25 will especially learn something meaningful from this film.
- After seeing Rashmika’s performance, I genuinely felt no other actress could have done justice to this role. She performed brilliantly. While watching the movie, you won’t see Rashmika – you’ll only see “Bhuma,” her character. During our shoot, Animal was released and became a blockbuster, but even then, she never behaved like a star. She was very friendly and humble with everyone on set.
- This film isn’t just for the youth – families will also connect with it. There are strong, relatable family elements in the movie. When we think of a “toxic boyfriend,” we usually imagine someone who smokes, drinks, or has anger issues. But toxicity can come in many other forms too, and our movie explores one such angle. As a viewer, I’ve never seen a character like this in any love story. Rahul Ravindran is not just a talented writer and director but also a genuinely good person. On set, he never hurt or pressured anyone – he got the best work from his team through kindness and clarity.
- During the shoot, Allu Aravind Garu watched the rushes and called me in. I was nervous, thinking he might criticize my performance. Instead, he appreciated my work and even gave me an advance for my next film. Receiving praise and encouragement from such an experienced producer gave me immense confidence at this stage in my career.
- As an actor, I want to explore diverse roles. I’m getting good opportunities in Telugu cinema, and I truly believe Telugu audiences appreciate talent regardless of language. Our producers, Vidya and Dheeraj, gave us all the support we needed. Hesham’s music will be a major highlight of the film. My favorite song is “Em Jarugutundi.” I can confidently say The Girlfriend is the best film I’ve done so far.
- My Kannada film Bank of Bhagyalakshmi will release in Telugu on November 21. I’m also working on a Telugu film titled Shabana, and another project titled KJQ is ready for release. Apart from these, I’m acting in one more untitled film. In Kannada, I’m working with Shivanna (Shiva Rajkumar), and in Malayalam, my film Angel No.1 is gearing up for release. I also have an ongoing Tamil project in production.
