Filmmakers Zoya Akhtar And Reema Kagti Teams Up With Musician Ankur Tewari To Launch Tiger Baby Records

Headed by Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti, Tiger Baby  is one of Hindi film industry’s most innovative film studios. The power duo have now roped in multi-hyphenate musician Ankur Tewari to kickstart Tiger Baby Records, an extension of the studio’s philosophy of  “compelling storytelling” in the audio world.

Tiger Baby Records aims to delve into the diverse soundscapes of the subcontinent and represent them globally. Their vision, as the co-founders state, is to create ‘all you can hear’ – from albums, EPs and singles, to music-driven documentaries, podcasts and live events, and work with an array of artists to create fresh and bespoke musical projects.

“We are excited to be delving into the audio world with Tiger Baby Records. The world of music represents an exciting opportunity e and partnering with Ankur was an obvious and natural decision” say Zoya and Reema. “We hope to continue to empower newer voices and create sounds that break the clutter, and our roster of releases will reflect that,” they add.

Tewari, who has been a music supervisor for three Tiger Baby  projects – Gully Boy, Made in Heaven (Prime Video) and yet-to-be released Archies (Netflix), has a bird’s eye perspective of the music industry, and what it needs. “At Tiger Baby Records, we want to nurture homegrown talent  and provide a platform for them to tell their stories ” states Tewari. 

Tiger Baby Records’ first release already reflects their intent to do different things, and to do things differently. It has lined up a bevy of releases including a series of children’s music EPs, with Tewari’s Aaja Nindiya the first of four, and in collaboration with Platoon Music – an Apple-owned artist services, A&R, and music distribution company. The label will announce additions to its roster of artists and releases soon.

“I feel that there isn’t enough children’s music being made in local languages, especially in India,” says Tewari, who has earlier released a couple of albums of children’s music, Bachcha Party. “A lot of old music is being recycled or you listen to songs that are made abroad. I felt the need for it, when I heard my nieces and nephews listen to music that was not homegrown. So when we found an opportunity to collaborate with Platoon Music, it felt like the perfect project for the launch of the label,” he adds.

Aaja Nindiya will release on March 24, 2023 on all streaming platforms, with the first single – the title track – releasing on March 17.  The 6-track EP is quintessential Ankur Tewari – unhurried, mellifluous and simple, the last being so difficult to get right. But perfect for children to sing along to.

“When making Aaja Nindiya, I wasn’t just thinking about  children but also the parents and caregivers to these children. There is a child within everyone and over time we forget that. It’s good to rediscover that. They can make the lullabies their own and create priceless memories,”  he explains.

To know more about Tiger Baby Records, please visit here.