Playing the role of Durga in The Girlfriend Movie: Anu Emmanuel

The film The Girlfriend, starring National Crush Rashmika Mandanna and talented actor Dheekshith Shetty, was released recently to great success. Both youth and family audiences have embraced the film warmly. Produced under the prestigious banners of Geetha Arts and Dheeraj Mogilineni Entertainment, the film was presented by Allu Aravind and directed by Rahul Ravindran. Dheeraj Mogilineni and Vidya Koppinedi served as producers. Following the film’s success, Anu Emmanuel shared her experience of portraying the character Durga.

“For The Girlfriend, I first got a call from producer Dheeraj. Later, I met director Rahul, who narrated the script. After listening to the story and my character, I immediately felt that I had to be part of this film. It conveys a meaningful message about women. Working on this movie gave me great creative satisfaction. Since it’s a Geetha Arts production, I knew the project would be handled with care. I’m happy about the response the film is receiving. However, I never do a movie with the expectation of getting praise or acclaim.

I’ve worked with star heroes in both Telugu and Tamil – Pawan Kalyan, Allu Arjun, Nani, Naga Chaitanya, Sivakarthikeyan, Karthi, Vishal, and others. But looking back, I do regret doing a few films. Acting in some commercial movies didn’t give me any artistic satisfaction. In those films, I’d just dance a few steps and deliver some routine dialogues. I didn’t realize it then, but now I’ve decided not to take up such roles anymore. I did The Girlfriend for my own satisfaction and to learn something new as an actress.

I played Durga in the film. During the first half, I was a bit anxious about how the audience would receive my character. But I was happy with the way director Rahul shaped it. He’s a very sensitive filmmaker. He didn’t just guide me – he guided every actor in the film with equal care. In commercial movies, we’re often asked to overact, but while performing Durga, I initially gave exaggerated expressions. Rahul told me to tone it down and act as naturally as possible. That approach helped me bring authenticity to the role. I dubbed for my character myself, and Rahul asked me to speak with an American accent, which made Durga’s portrayal even more natural on screen. I watched the movie in the theater, and I was thrilled when audiences clapped for some of my scenes.

By the time I came on board, Rashmika had already been cast as Bhooma. I never wanted to play Bhooma’s role. In Hollywood, movies don’t categorize characters as hero, heroine, or villain – every character contributes to the story. Rahul followed a similar approach in The Girlfriend, ensuring that every role had meaning and justification. To become someone like Durga, one must first go through what Bhooma goes through. No one is born with Durga’s courage – it comes after facing misunderstanding and suffocation from parents, friends, or society. Even men experience this kind of struggle.

Career-wise, I still feel a bit unsatisfied, but as an actor, I’m content. I’ve worked with many big stars, but I’ve never been desperate for opportunities. I believe the right projects will come to me. When I came to India from the U.S., I didn’t go to my hometown in Kerala – I came straight to Hyderabad and have lived here ever since. I auditioned for Prithviraj’s Aadujeevitham in Malayalam but couldn’t do the film. If I get a good opportunity, I’d love to work in Malayalam cinema someday. Working with Dheekshith was a great experience – he’s a very dedicated actor, and we prepared well for our combination scenes.

I had earlier worked with producer Dheeraj on Urvasivo Rakshasivo. For a film like The Girlfriend to succeed, you need a committed producer like Dheeraj. Many female-centric films in the past didn’t receive the attention they deserved because they lacked the right team. Our film highlights how society places countless conditions on women – how to talk, what to wear, when to marry, when to have children – while men only face pressure about their job or income. I currently have a few projects in the discussion stage, but it’s too early to reveal details about them.”