Tollywood
The Girlfriend Day 1 Box Office Rashmika Mandannas Film Opens on a Decent Note
BY SACNILK
Rashmika Mandanna’s latest Telugu outing The Girlfriend opened on a modest yet hopeful note at the box office. The film registered early estimates of ₹1.30 crore net on Day 1, marking a steady start for the romantic drama that hit cinemas on November 7, 2025. The film’s Telugu version recorded an overall 16.90% occupancy across shows on Friday. The highest turnout came during night shows at 23.55%, indicating a gradual pick-up as the day progressed. Here’s how it shaped up through the day: Morning shows: 12.83% Afternoon shows: 15.40% Evening shows: 15.80% Night shows: 23.55% Meanwhile, the Hindi version saw comparatively lower traction, with single-digit occupancy rates through the day: Morning: 6.36% Afternoon: 5.03% Evening: 7.59% Night: 8.58% While the Telugu belt held decent interest, the Hindi audience turnout remained subdued. The performance indicates a fair start, with hopes pinned on weekend growth and positive word-of-mouth. The Girlfriend is a romantic drama directed by Rahul Ravindran and headlined by Rashmika Mandanna alongside Dheekshith Shetty. The film also features Anu Emmanuel, Rao Ramesh, and Rohini in key roles. With music by Hesham Abdul Wahab and background score by Prashanth R Vihari, the film explores the complexities of modern relationships through a heartfelt narrative.The teaser and promos hinted at an emotionally layered love story with Rashmika’s character at its centre—a woman navigating affection, independence, and heartbreak. Much of the buzz around The Girlfriend revolves around Rashmika’s performance. Audiences and early viewers have praised her emotional depth, particularly in the film’s second half and climax. Her on-screen pairing with Dheekshith Shetty brought freshness to the story, even as the film’s pacing received mixed responses from the early crowd. Director Rahul Ravindran has described Rashmika as the “heart and soul” of the film, and her fans seem to echo that sentiment. Whether her star power will drive stronger weekend numbers remains to be seen, but her portrayal has already become a talking point on social media. For The Girlfriend, the coming weekend will be critical. With decent occupancy in Telugu states—especially in multiplex circuits—the film has potential for growth if word-of-mouth sustains. The evening and night shows already suggest curiosity building among Rashmika’s fan base, and a strong Saturday could help push its momentum further. The Girlfriend kicked off its theatrical run on a steady note, drawing decent interest across Telugu centres.With growing chatter and encouraging feedback from the evening shows, the weekend will be crucial in determining whether The Girlfriend blossoms into a word-of-mouth success.
