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
Why Peaky Blinders is one of television’s biggest hits that still deserves more attention
Six seasons, multiple awards and the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man bring the Shelby saga back into the spotlight
In the crowded universe of streaming content, only a handful of shows manage to leave a lasting cultural footprint. Peaky Blinders is overwhelmingly considered one of the biggest global hits of the past decade. Yet many viewers still haven’t fully explored the dark, gripping world of the Shelby family.
Originally produced for the UK’s BBC and later finding a massive global audience through Netflix, the series quietly grew from a British period drama into a worldwide streaming phenomenon.
Created by Steven Knight, the show follows the rise of the Shelby crime family in post-First World War Birmingham. What begins as a gritty street-gang story gradually expands into a sweeping narrative about ambition, politics, power and survival.
At the centre of the saga is Thomas Shelby, portrayed with extraordinary depth by Cillian Murphy. The casting of Murphy is widely regarded as perfect for the role. With piercing eyes, restrained dialogue and an almost hypnotic screen presence, he transforms Shelby into one of the most unforgettable characters in modern screen storytelling.
Murphy’s brilliance lies in his restraint. He rarely shouts or performs theatrically. Instead, a quiet stare, a calculated pause or a subtle shift in expression conveys the emotional storms within the character. Beneath the ruthless gang leader is a war veteran carrying trauma, guilt and loneliness. Murphy captures this complexity with remarkable precision, making Thomas Shelby both terrifying and deeply human.
Beyond its central performance, Peaky Blinders stands out for its unfiltered portrayal of reality. The show does not romanticise crime. Instead, it exposes the harsh social conditions of early 20th-century Britain, from poverty and class struggle to political extremism and the psychological scars left by war.
The series also presents powerful female characters who hold their own within the Shelby empire. Polly Gray, played by Helen McCrory, is the strategic backbone of the family and one of the most formidable figures in the story. Women in the series shape decisions, influence power structures and challenge the rigid social norms of the time.
Across six seasons, the narrative grows dramatically in scale. What begins in the smoky streets of Birmingham evolves into a story involving political conspiracies, fascism and international criminal networks.
The series has also earned significant critical acclaim. It won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2018 and multiple National Television Awards for Best Drama, cementing its reputation as one of Britain’s most celebrated modern shows.
Another defining feature of the series is its iconic music. The show’s opening theme, Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, became instantly recognisable and widely associated with the Shelby universe. Combined with a powerful soundtrack featuring artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, the music helped shape the show’s dark, stylish identity and became hugely popular among fans.
And the Shelby story is not over yet.
In fact, its legacy is unfolding right now. The long-awaited feature-length continuation, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, was released on March 6, 2026, bringing the Shelby universe from streaming screens to cinemas and giving fans a new chapter in the saga.
For viewers who have not yet stepped into this world, the timing could not be better.
Six gripping seasons are ready to binge on Netflix. A new film has just arrived in theatres. And at the heart of it all stands one of the most magnetic performances in modern drama by Cillian Murphy.
So if Peaky Blinders has been sitting on your watchlist for years, this weekend is your moment.
So, by order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, consider this your cue to finally step into the ruthless world of Thomas Shelby. Pour yourself a drink, clear your schedule and press the play button. Because when the Peaky Blinders give an order, you listen.
