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.
Gaming
Bluestone FY26 revenue rises to Rs 2,436 crore, turns profitable
Q4 profit at Rs 31 crore, full-year profit at Rs 13 crore vs loss last year.
MUMBAI: From sparkle to numbers, Bluestone seems to be polishing more than just jewellery this year. Bluestone Jewellery and Lifestyle Limited reported a sharp turnaround in FY26, with revenue from operations rising to Rs 2,436 crore (Rs 24,364 million), up from Rs 1,770 crore (Rs 17,700 million) in FY25. The company posted a full-year profit of Rs 13 crore (Rs 131.79 million), a significant recovery from a loss of Rs 222 crore (Rs 2,218 million) a year ago.
Total income for the year stood at Rs 2,486 crore (Rs 24,860 million), compared to Rs 1,830 crore (Rs 18,300 million) in the previous year, reflecting both topline growth and improved operational momentum.
The March quarter, however, told a more nuanced story. Revenue from operations came in at Rs 681 crore (Rs 6,814 million), down from Rs 748 crore (Rs 7,486 million) in the year-ago period, though higher than Rs 461 crore (Rs 4,613 million) in the preceding December quarter. Net profit for Q4 stood at Rs 31 crore (Rs 311.81 million), compared to Rs 68 crore (Rs 688 million) a year earlier, but a clear reversal from a loss of Rs 51 crore (Rs 512 million) in Q3.
Margins were shaped by higher input costs, with raw material consumption rising to Rs 2,204 crore (Rs 22,043 million) for the full year, alongside employee benefit expenses of Rs 282 crore (Rs 2,824 million) and finance costs of Rs 210 crore (Rs 2,104 million). Other expenses came in at Rs 371 crore (Rs 3,715 million), slightly lower than Rs 393 crore (Rs 3,938 million) in FY25.
On the balance sheet front, total assets expanded to Rs 4,961 crore (Rs 49,610 million) as of March 31, 2026, from Rs 3,532 crore (Rs 35,322 million) a year earlier, driven largely by a surge in inventories to Rs 2,672 crore (Rs 26,718 million). Equity also strengthened to Rs 1,803 crore (Rs 18,030 million), nearly doubling from Rs 911 crore (Rs 9,107 million).
Cash flows reflected the cost of growth. Net cash used in operating activities stood at Rs 199 crore (Rs 1,990 million), while investing activities saw an outflow of Rs 239 crore (Rs 2,392 million). Financing activities, however, generated Rs 497 crore (Rs 4,971 million), helping the company end the year with cash and cash equivalents of Rs 108 crore (Rs 1,075 million), up from Rs 49 crore (Rs 487 million).
Earnings per share for FY26 came in at Rs 1.10, a sharp improvement from a negative Rs 79.74 in FY25, underlining the shift from losses to profitability.
With revenue scaling up, costs still glittering on the higher side, and profitability finally back in the black, BlueStone’s FY26 performance suggests a business mid-transition less about shine alone, and more about sustaining it.
