iWorld
Hoopr’s Indie trio powers Hindi cinema debut with Saali Mohabbat
Hoopr, Saali Mohabbat, Tisca Chopra, Jio Studios, Stage5 Production, Zee5, Gaurav Dagaonkar, Abhimanyu Jha, Anirudh Bhola, Atul Kumar Verma, A R Rahman, Meghna Mittal.
MUMBAI: Hoopr has struck its first big note in Hindi cinema with Saali Mohabbat, a soulful original track built entirely by talent discovered on its music licensing platform. The song features in Tisca Chopra’s directorial debut of the same name, produced by Jio Studios and Stage5 Production, and streaming on Zee5 from 12 December.
In a rare moment for Hindi cinema, a film now carries the name of a track made by independent artists whose vocals, composition and lyrics all came through a digital creator network rather than a major label. The makers were reportedly so taken by the song that they rechristened the film after hearing it.
At the heart of the track is Hoopr co-founder and CEO Gaurav Dagaonkar teaming with lyricist Abhimanyu Jha. The duo, both IIM Ahmedabad alumni, shaped the song with vocalist Anirudh Bhola and composer Atul Kumar Verma. Their collaboration blends warm vocals, contemporary production and tight storytelling to heighten the film’s emotional arc.
Bhola brings recognisable Hindi cinema credentials from films like Sanam Re, Kites and Krrish 3, along with a fan base built on his popular “Tera Nasha” and A. R. Rahman tribute shows. Verma adds his versatility as a singer, composer and lyricist with work spread across Hindi cinema, OTT and indie releases. Jha, an IIT Madras and IIM Ahmedabad graduate, novelist and fintech founder, supplies the lyrical texture.
All three artists have been part of Hoopr’s 1,500-strong indie community for over three years.
Dagaonkar said the milestone signals a shift in how film music gets made. He noted that opportunities in Hindi cinema have traditionally gone to artists backed by major labels, but platforms like Hoopr are creating a more open pipeline for filmmakers searching for fresh voices. He added that the title change was a moment of validation that showed how deeply the song resonated with the team.
Co-founder Meghna Mittal called Saali Mohabbat a showcase of what the platform can do end to end, from scouting the right artists to shaping a soundtrack that fits a director’s brief while still bringing new ideas from across India’s indie scene.
With this debut, Hoopr has placed a new marker in the industry. The platform’s bet is clear: independent musicians, given the right stage, can slip into the heart of mainstream storytelling and stay there.
iWorld
Anirudh Ravichander and Universal Music India join forces to take South India’s sound to the world
The composer behind 13 billion streams launches Albuquerque Records with UMI as its exclusive global partner
MUMBAI: Universal Music India has struck an exclusive partnership with Albuquerque Records, the freshly minted independent label of singer-composer Anirudh Ravichander, in a deal that bets big on South India’s booming pop and hip-hop scene going global.
The arrangement, announced on 17 March, will see Universal Music India handle future pop and hip-hop releases by Anirudh himself, as well as artists signed to the new label. A first release is already in the pipeline for April, featuring Anirudh.
The numbers behind the man are hard to ignore. Debuting in 2012 with the viral sensation “Why This Kolaveri Di”, Anirudh has since clocked over 13 billion audio streams across more than 770 tracks, cementing his position as the No.1 South Indian artist on Spotify by total streams. His fingerprints are all over some of the Tamil film industry’s biggest musical moments, from Hukum and Vaathi Coming to Arabic Kuthu and the A23 Theme.
But Albuquerque Records is a different beast. Built for the non-film space, it is designed to nurture independent talent and champion the next wave of Indian pop voices. “Universal Music India’s leadership in pop and hip-hop made them the natural partner,” said Anirudh. “I’m excited to take independent voices to audiences around the world.”
Universal Music India’s chairman and CEO Devraj Sanyal was equally effusive. “Anirudh represents the future of Indian music, bold, original, and with enormous potential,” he said. “Identifying transformative talent is our superpower, and this partnership reflects that belief.”
Sanujeet Bhujabal, managing director of Universal Music India, framed the deal as more than a distribution play. “Albuquerque Records represents Anirudh’s bold artistic vision in the world of pop and hip-hop,” he said. “True to his legacy of innovation, this partnership is set to establish yet another landmark creative space, this time for the emerging world of iPop and beyond.”
For Universal Music India, the deal deepens a long-running push into South India’s four key language markets: Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu. The label already has regional imprints, film partnerships with Maddock Films and Excel Entertainment, and a growing non-film roster. Landing Anirudh, arguably the south’s most bankable music brand, is a statement of intent. South Indian music has the streams. Now it is coming for the world.
