Some characters stay with audiences long after the film leaves theatres. For Rashmika Mandanna, Bhooma is one of them.
On Saturday, as 'The Girlfriend' completed one year since release, the actress shared a note on her Instagram Stories. It read less like a promotional anniversary post and more like a reflection on what happens when a story about a difficult relationship reaches real people.
"One year of The Girlfriend.. one year of Bhooma.. and a whole lot of love that I don't think I'll ever be able to put into words," she wrote.
The fans who made Bhooma their own
Rashmika said the biggest part of the film's journey came from the audience. "What has made this journey even more beautiful is YOU GUYSSS. The messages, the conversations, the stories you've shared with me, the way you've shown your love for Bhooma, accepted her and made her a part of your lives," she wrote.
That response says something about the kind of film 'The Girlfriend' is. The Girlfriend is a 2025 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film written and directed by Rahul Ravindran. The film stars Rashmika Mandanna, Dheekshith Shetty, and Anu Emmanuel. It follows Bhooma, a postgraduate student, through her turbulent ride through a highly toxic relationship, and the story ends with her finding her own voice rather than with a dramatic confrontation.
Because the film treats control and emotional manipulation as everyday experiences rather than melodrama, many viewers saw their own lives in it. Rashmika's post shows how strongly that recognition affected her.
"Every time someone tells me that they saw a little bit of themselves in her, I feel so many emotions.. It makes me happy, it makes me emotional, and it also makes me wish that no one ever has to go through the things Bhooma did.. I wish every girl gets to find her voice, her strength and her happiness," she wrote.
This is the most telling part of her note. She is proud that viewers connected with the character, but she is uneasy that so many of them could relate to what Bhooma went through. An actor usually wants audiences to identify with a role. Rashmika's wish is the opposite: that fewer people should have reason to.
Why the film still matters
Mainstream Indian cinema has often romanticised possessive heroes, and audiences have debated this for years. 'The Girlfriend' added to that debate by showing obsessive love from the woman's point of view. That viewers are still sending messages about the film a year later suggests it reached people beyond its initial theatrical run. Netflix will stream the film from December 5 in five languages, the reports had stated at the time, and that release widened its reach.
The role also stands out in Rashmika's filmography, which is otherwise dominated by large commercial entertainers. Bhooma was a quieter, more internal performance, and one that critics singled out.
Rashmika ended her note by thanking everyone who kept the film alive in conversation. "I'm so grateful that this story found its way to so many hearts. Thankyouuu for watching it, talking about it, celebrating it and giving it so much love even a year later. You have made something that was already so close to my heart even more precious," she wrote, and closed with a warm hug to her fans.
This story is based on a post shared on Rashmika Mandanna's official Instagram account.
