AP Dhillon Turns Action Hero with Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt in ‘Old Money’ Video

In a move that no one saw coming, AP Dhillon enlists Bollywood star actors Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt for his new music video “Old Money.” The song, written with longtime collaborator Shinda Kahlon, also marks his debut release after signing with Republic Records to release his upcoming album The Brownprint.

Starting off with a Punjabi dialogue sampled from the 1990 movie Anakh Jattan Dee, the buoyant “Old Money” is produced by AzizTheShake, Gray Hawken, Luca Mauti, Brendan Thomas and Madeleine Kay and brings a son-of-the-soil braggadocio to the front in the lyrics.

While the song just clocks in at two minutes, Dhillon presents a wholly new side in the five-minute music video directed by himself and Shauna Gautam. With Khan (referred to as “Bhaijaan”) and Dutt (who calls himself “Baba”) serving as quintessential Nineties Bollywood figures in the video, “Old Money” follows a rivalry between Dhillon and Kahlon, with plenty of good old-fashioned bloodshed that’s a homage to “epic action blockbusters” from India.

Dhillon said in a statement about the release, “‘Old Money’ is the perfect way for me to start my next era. I came up with a concept that was influenced by all my favorite action movies that I grew up watching. Shoutout to bhai and baba for believing in the boy!  I hope you love it as much as I do.”

A press release adds, “The unparalleled star union of film icons Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt after over a decade, coupled with the meteoric rise of AP Dhillon, creates an unprecedented fusion of eras and talents. This anthem transcends generational divides, promising a universal message of brotherhood, compassion and loyalty.”

The video also marks the first time Dhillon has turned co-director, getting into everything from fight scenes to weaponry, with veteran action director Vikram Dahiya also involved. At the end of all the violence, Dhillon admits his mistake in an apology to Dutt’s kingpin-like character, who advises the protagonist to use his talents instead of turning to violence. In typical Nineties Bollywood moralizing, it ends with a glib message “Say No To Violence.”

Dhillon — who released his last EP Two Hearts Never Break The Same in 2022 and followed it up with singles like “With You” last year — is reportedly the first India-born artist of Punjabi lineage to sign with Republic Records. The artist said in a press release statement, “Republic Records got and understood who I am from day one. We’re all in harmony when it comes to this new music, and now I just can’t wait to show everybody what we’ve been cooking up.”