Tips Films Ltd.’s Soulmates is a romantic adventure story of an autorickshaw driver of Rajasthan. A beautiful French tourist enters his life. She is visiting India with her boyfriend but she wants to test his (boyfriend’s) romantic commitment.
Bharatbala’s story is scattered and meanders here, there and everywhere. Sanjay Lafont and Bharatbala’s screenplay is slow-paced and doesn’t offer much excitement to the viewers who keep wondering what the two characters in the drama, viz. autorickshaw driver Hari Om and French tourist Isa are up to. The drama never really involves the viewers who realise that the film was made with the festival circuit in mind. Dialogues, written by Sanjay Lafont and Saurab Laftnu, are ordinary.
Vijay Raaz is natural as Hari Om. Camille Natta is charming and impresses in the role of Isa. Jean Marie Lamour makes his mark as Isa’s aristocratic boyfriend, Benoit. A.K. Hangal makes his mark in a brief role as the hookah man. Anupam Shyam has his moments as Hari Om’s friend-turned-foe. Others pass muster.
Bharatbala’s direction is aimed at the festival circuit audience only. Music (Halki halki by Shamir Tandon, lyrics by Gulzar; Sheher ghumawa by Sunny Vik, lyrics by Raj Fatehpur; Kitna pyara recreated by Saksham Tandon, new lyrics by Priyanka Beniwal, original music by Nadeem-Shravan, original lyrics by Sameer Anjaan; Benjariye by Troy-Arif, lyrics by Ali-Ghani) is melodious. Lyrics are meaningful. Harish’s choreography is decent. Troy-Arif’s background music is alright. Angus Hudson’s camerawork is excellent. The deserts of Rajasthan are a treat to the eyes. Naveen Shetty’s art direction is appropriate. Editing (Kanika Myer and Manish More) ought to have been sharper.
On the whole, Soulmates is a dull fare. (The film has done the rounds of many festivals and has also picked up a number of awards, but it was then titled Hari Om. It was made in 2005.)
Released on 17-10-’25 on Apple TV.
