There is a
scene in Rahul Ravindran’s “The Girlfriend” where two women (Rashmika Mandanna
and Rohini) are positioned behind the front door of a house.
The door looks framed like the bars of a prison. The patriarchal attitude in that house seemed to have seamlessly passed on from one generation to the next, with the
broad strokes intact, the difference being only in the little details. We see two women, one a victim who has
accepted it with a quiet resignation and one who has just had an epiphany on what
her life might turn out to be. Moments
later, part of the door opens, and one woman is no longer behind bars, so to
say. This sequence encapsulates all that
is surefooted about this film. Rahul’s
lines are thought provoking. The actors’
silences are loaded with meaning. The editing by Chota K Prasad is sharp - the consecutive shots
of the two women in a similar looking saree evoked a rapturous response in the
theater where I watched the film. DOP
Krishnan Vasant’s focus shifts are unobtrusive yet precise. In short, everything comes together, not just
in this scene but also the film.
“The
Girlfriend” is the tale of Bhooma, a girl whose journey of self-realization
leads to her discovering a version of herself that she didn’t know
existed. When we first see her, she has
just joined an MA English Literature course.
When the Professor (an endearingly dignified Rahul) asks her
for her motivation to join the course, she speaks of her aspiration to write a
book that would inspire children the way other authors inspired her in her childhood. Right off the bat, the earnestness endears us
to this character and pulls us into her world.
We gradually see that she is, as soft as she may seem on the outside, filled
with a quiet but steely resolve to maximize her ability. A relationship with a man-child (a supremely
convincing Dheekshith Shetty) turns around her world topsy-turvy. The film proceeds to take us on a ride into
her world and her psyche in the most intimate, intricate manner possible. Rashmika holds this film together with an
incandescent performance that is seen to be believed. After her stupendous work in “Dear Comrade”,
this is arguably her most nuanced, layered and searing performance in a role
that is superbly written.
Rahul is
not only a sensitive, sensible and progressive writer but also one who has a
tremendous handle on the craft of filmmaking that allows him to bring his
vision to screen fully. It manifests
itself not just in the way he has collaborated with his superlative technical
team or his music director. (Hesham Abdul Wahab’s score add tremendous depth to
the quieter moments.) It is also evident
in the delicious little details, choices and observations. For instance, we see a young girl in a
crouched position. And then we cut to
the adult version with a near identical pose.
Another example is the tentative way Rashmika holds her backpack in front as if to guard herself. Or
how she cannot bring herself to fully say, “boyfriend” in response to being
called, “girlfriend.” Even a dupatta
gets its own little arc and payoff in a series of shots spread across the
film. If the sharp, thought-provoking
dialogues make us hold a mirror to ourselves and our problematic notions of
patriarchy and male chauvinism, the exquisite detailing is a magnifying glass
into the world of the titular character.
Another
aspect of Rahul’s writing that deserves approbation is the shaping of the
supporting characters, even the minor ones.
The dignity with which Bhooma treats a guy who had feelings for her is
lovely, given how rarely we see it on screen.
I loved the way she delivered the line, “you are such a nice guy,
ra.” I also admired the fact that the Durga
character (a wonderful Anu Emmanuel) befriends Bhooma after noticing her
earnestness, despite her own prior jealousy. Her confession later is a standout scene. I
wished though that Rahul had fleshed out their friendship a little more. She is largely missing in the second half
except for the climactic portions.
Rahul, as the Professor, has some of the film’s best lines at the most
opportune moments. There is always a
risk of editorializing when a character voices out the core themes of a film but Rahul walks the tightrope walk expertly.
As engaging, moving and motivating as “The Girlfriend” is, it is also an important
film. We have had scores of films where
toxic masculinity is glorified and obsessive behavior is
characterized as some sort of a virtue and a sign of deep, undying love. Without moralizing or sermonizing, Rahul lets
his story organically set right all that is wrong with portrayal of woman-man
relationships in films. In the process, he and his cast and crew give us an intense, memorable film.
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