Rahul Ravindran Admits Rashmika’s Animal Triumph Made Him Anxious, Here’s Why!

Some feelings just sneak up on you, no matter how experienced you are. That’s exactly what happened to Rahul Ravindran while working on The Girlfriend. He says he couldn’t help but feel a little anxious after Rashmika Mandanna’s Animal turned into a blockbuster. “When someone suddenly becomes this huge star, you start wondering if people will still accept them in a simpler, raw kind of story,” he said with a laugh. But Rashmika brushed off his doubts right away, “Let’s do it the way the story wants,” she told him.

The Girlfriend, backed by Geetha Arts and Dheeraj Mogilineni Entertainment, isn’t your usual glossy love story. Rahul wrote it years ago, based on something he saw during his college days. It began as a small OTT idea until Allu Aravind read it and said it needed the big screen. Rashmika read the script, called him in two days, and said, “This one feels special. It speaks to me.” That’s how the project kicked off, with Dheekshith Shetty joining her as the lead.

Rahul admits he played a small trick with the teaser, it doesn’t really show what the movie’s about. “The real heart of the film unfolds only in theatres,” he said. There are no moral lectures or dramatic punchlines here, just emotions that hit close to home. The newly released Laayi Le song has already caught attention for its gentle mood and natural chemistry between Rashmika and Dheekshith. “I didn’t want anything too polished or perfect,” Rahul said. “Love stories are messy, and that’s what makes them beautiful.”

With Hesham Abdul Wahab’s music adding emotional weight, Rahul feels The Girlfriend turned out exactly how he pictured it, honest and human. He smiles when talking about Rashmika again, hinting they might reunite soon. “She liked another story I told her,” he said. “Maybe we’ll surprise you again soon.”