Punjabi singer AP Dhillon, known for hits like Brown Munde, Excuses, and Dil Nu, recently opened up about why he has never sung for Bollywood despite receiving offers from major actors. In a candid conversation on the SMTV YouTube podcast, Dhillon revealed that his decision stems from a desire to protect artists and their work from exploitation.
Speaking in Punjabi, Dhillon said, “I’ll tell you why I’ve never done a Bollywood song yet. It’s because I care about my people. It’s not about Bollywood itself. I want to set an example. I told them I’m happy to do a song, but they must change how they do business.
They exploit the song and the artist for their own profit. I won’t name names, but a couple of huge actors wanted my music in their films. We even had the scene planned. But they wanted to own the song, the rights, the remix rights—they want to exploit it. That’s not right. ”He added, “Until this changes, I can’t work with them.
If I do, then junior artists will have to follow, and I don’t want that. I don’t want young artists to lose their income by selling their hit songs or be exploited. The problem is other A-listers still accept these terms.”Dhillon emphasized the need for solidarity among Punjabi artists, saying that unless they collectively refuse such exploitative deals, real change won’t happen.
He pointed out that Bollywood producers easily move on to the next big Punjabi artist since there are only a few prominent names. While many Punjabi singers like Diljit Dosanjh, Karan Aujla, Honey Singh, and Badshah have embraced Bollywood, AP Dhillon has chosen to maintain his independence.
Recently, he collaborated with Shreya Ghoshal on Thodi Si Daaru, featuring Tara Sutaria, but has stayed away from Bollywood film songs. On another note, Dhillon has announced his ‘One of One India Tour,’ performing across eight cities from December 5 to December 28, 2025.
