Hoopr Makes Bollywood Debut With Indie-Powered Original Soundtrack ‘Saali Mohabbat’

Hoopr, India’s leading music licensing platform, has marked its Bollywood debut with Saali Mohabbat, an original soundtrack created entirely by independent artists from its in-house talent network. The song features in the upcoming film Saali Mohabbat, directed by Tisca Chopra and produced by Jyoti Deshpande, Dinesh Malhotra, Vipin Agnihotri and Manish Malhotra under Jio Studios and Stage5 Production. The film is scheduled to premiere on ZEE5 on December 12.

The release marks a significant milestone for the Indian film and music industry, as it is the first time a Bollywood film has featured a track where the vocals, composition and lyrics have all been created by independent artists discovered through a music-tech licensing platform.

The song is the result of a collaboration between Hoopr’s Co-Founder and CEO Gaurav Dagaonkar and lyricist Abhimanyu Jha, forming an IIM-A composer–lyricist duo. They are joined by acclaimed vocalist Anirudh Bhola and composer Atul Kumar Verma. Together, the artists have crafted Saali Mohabbat as a melodic and emotionally rich track that adds cinematic depth to key moments in the film, blending evocative vocals with contemporary composition and poetic storytelling.

Anirudh Bhola, who lends his voice to the song, is a recognised Bollywood playback singer with credits including Sanam Re, Nasha, Kites and Krrish 3. He is also known for the hit track “Tera Nasha” and his widely appreciated A.R. Rahman tribute concerts. Composer Atul Kumar Verma brings extensive experience across Bollywood, OTT platforms and independent music, with collaborations featuring legends such as Hariharan and releases across Zee Music, MTV, JioSaavn and Gaana. Lyricist Abhimanyu Jha, an IIT Madras and IIM Ahmedabad alumnus, is also a bestselling novelist, fintech founder and songwriter with contributions spanning OTT and independent music.

All the artists involved have been part of the Hoopr platform for over three years, contributing to its growing ecosystem of more than 1,500 independent musicians, including vocalists, composers and lyricists.

Speaking on the launch, Gaurav Dagaonkar said, “Saali Mohabbat marks a significant milestone in the independent music space. Traditionally, many opportunities have been accessible only to artists signed with large record labels. Hoopr is creating a pathway for filmmakers to connect with exceptional indie talent, while giving artists the opportunity to showcase their work across films, OTT, brand integrations and more. The most heartening validation for us was that the film’s title was changed after the makers heard the song,Saali Mohabbat resonated so deeply that it ultimately became the title of the movie. This Bollywood debut reinforces our vision of making talent discovery truly democratic.”

Meghna Mittal, Co-Founder of Hoopr, added that the track exemplifies the creator ecosystem the platform has built. “From discovering the artists to identifying the perfect sound and producing the track, every step was executed entirely in-house through Hoopr’s artist network. The song was crafted to align seamlessly with the creative brief while incorporating fresh perspectives from independent musicians across the country. This marks the beginning of many more artist-led collaborations entering mainstream entertainment.”

With Saali Mohabbat, Hoopr sets a new precedent for the industry, demonstrating how independent music talent—backed by a strong discovery and licensing platform,can seamlessly transition into Bollywood and beyond.