Rashmika Mandanna has signed a Telugu film titled Girlfriend which will be directed by actor-director Rahul Ravindran. The makers have also unveiled the concept poster and teaser of the love story. This is perhaps the second female-centric film that Rashmika is signing (after Rainbow).
Rahul, however, says he doesn’t want to limit the film by labelling it ‘female-centric’. “The girl is the protagonist but she’s not the only principal character. There are a few other characters, including a boy,” he says, adding that they are now looking for someone to play that part.
Rahul, who won the National Award for Best Original Screenplay for Chi La Sow, says the audience will understand after watching the film why he chose Rashmika. “She’s someone with transparent, sharp and expressive eyes. She doesn’t need to say anything — she just speaks through her eyes. This expressiveness will be vital in my film,” he shares.
After Rashmika read the story, she called Rahul and said, ‘we are doing this.’ Though the director is tight-lipped about her role, he says it is rare for Rashmika to immediately give the green signal for a movie.
He reveals that he had been working on the Girlfriend script for the last three years and explains that he took time because he wants the story to resonate with the audience.His last film Manmadhudu 2 (2019), starring Nagarjuna, did not do well at the box office. However, Rahul, who quickly moved on, says that there were several positives in the Nag-starrer. “I think the best advice I got was from Nag Sir. He said, ‘Don’t let one Friday ruin your many months of work.’ That advice was an eye-opener for me,” he recalls.
