AP Dhillon reveals why he hasn’t made a song for Bollywood

Global Punjabi music sensation AP Dhillon has opened up about why he’s yet to lend his voice to a Bollywood film — and his reasons go far beyond creative choice.

AP Dhillon opens up on why he hasn't made music for Bollywood

In a candid reflection, AP Dhillon revealed in a Punjabi interview on the SMTV YouTube channel that his decision stems from a desire to protect and empower Punjabi musicians in an industry that, he believes, often sidelines their rights.

He said, “I’ll tell you why I’ve never done a Bollywood song yet. It’s only because I care for my people. It’s not about Bollywood. I want to set an example for my people. I told them that I’m happy to do a song for them, but they must first change the way they do business. For example, when a Punjabi artiste does a song for a Bollywood film, the producer owns the song, the remix rights, everything… They exploit the song and the artiste for their own profit. I put my foot down and said no.”

AP Dhillon, who rose to international fame with hits like Brown Munde and Excuses, shared that he has been approached by major film names in the past — but refused to compromise on ownership.

“I don’t want to take names, but a couple of huge actors said that they want my music in their movie. I made the song; we even had the scene in mind. But they want to own the song; they want the rights to the song; they want to exploit it. That’s not correct. So, I told them that until they change this, I can’t do a song with them. If I do it, then the junior artistes will also have to do it, and I don’t want them to do it.”

The singer-producer added that the Punjabi and Hindi film industries should find a more balanced way to collaborate.

“I don’t want a young artiste to lose out on their source of income by selling their hit song. I don’t want them to be exploited. But the only problem is that the other A-listers are still giving songs. Until they draw a line in the sand and say no, we won’t make progress. Because if I say no, then the Bollywood producers will simply go to the next big Punjabi artistes; there are only three or four of us anyway.”

With his firm stance, AP Dhillon continues to champion creative independence — not just for himself, but for the new generation of Punjabi musicians who look up to him.

His refusal to bow to Bollywood norms has sparked conversation across the music industry about fair ownership, artistic integrity, and the changing power dynamics between regional and mainstream music.