Jay Ahmed on AP Dhillon: For few months, he stopped making music

AP Dhillon

Despite having heard Brown Munde countless times, I never associated it with AP Dhillon, until I sat down to watch the latest documentary on him. Amazon Prime Video's four-part offering, AP Dhillon: The First of a Kind, delves into the Punjabi singer's passion for music, brotherhood and his love for the south Asian community. Director Jay Ahmed walks us through the making of the docu, as he met the artiste who is "all heart and a true brother."

Edited excerpts from the interview.

How did AP Dhillon aka Amritpal Singh Dhillon and your paths cross?
Passion Pictures and Amazon Prime Video were looking for a director who was experienced in unscripted [content] and had dealt with [high] profile talent. When they contacted me, I didn't know a lot about him. But I didn't want to know; I wanted to uncover him myself. When I met him, it was like hanging out with a friend I've known for years. There was an instant connection. AP wanted somebody who would respect his boundaries because he is a private guy. He felt I'd never cross that line.

Shinda Kahlon and AP Dhillon working on a new song

What was the line that you were never supposed to cross?
Certain things like protecting the privacy of family members and his inner circle. He wanted the documentary to focus on him as an artiste, his support network and certain aspects of his private life. In the documentary, he spoke about his reaction to Sidhu Moose Wala's assassination. [He had] immense respect for Sidhu. He told me the details of their last conversation as they had spoken just two days before the tragic loss. There is a [strong] connection in the Punjabi community. When we went on a hike, I wasn't planning on filming it initially; I just wanted him to clear his head. He then started talking about Sidhu and how the loss affected him. For a few months, he stopped making music. He fell out of love with music because Sidhu's loss affected him.

Did he share some of the death threats he received?
Yes, he showed me some of the messages. He was getting random phone calls from unknown numbers. Despite the security and his small circle, information of his location and his hotel room was getting out.

Jay Ahmed

He received backlash for making his stage performance on the song Hills too sexual. What was his reaction to the trolls?
It was exactly how we showed it in the documentary. He was sitting for a haircut, and was in a bizarre mood because of the [social media] comments about the previous concert. I told him that he has to explain to us what's going on in his head. He started opening up, asking, ‘Why is this happening when all we are trying to do is push the envelope?' Then Kevin [Buttar] and Gminxr told him that he was stronger than this and they won't back down because of some social media comments. He just needed to know that his network supported him. That changed the vibe backstage, and it showed in the performance.

In a collective, ego clashes are common. Did you experience that with AP, Gurinder Gill and Shinda Kahlon?
In my first week with them, I got the feeling that AP is the genius because he does everything - writing, singing, rapping, producing, composing, and engineering [sound and light]. He is a creative genius. They all come with their specialties, but when they sit with him, they realise that he sees things differently and makes it better. That's why they've always championed him as the face of the band. It was an understanding they all had right at the start. It's hard to believe for a bunch of young Punjabi boys, we didn't film even one argument. Not much about his family is explored.

I stayed with them when we went to Punjab for his Lollapalooza concert. His family was so caring and humble, who opened their doors for me. His dad used to write a lot of poetry and loves music. There were evenings where we would sit around the bonfire, and they would play the guitar. His dad is his biggest inspiration. If it wasn't for his father and grandmother's sacrifices, he wouldn't be where he is today.

What was your takeaway from the entire experience?
In the past, I focused on western documentaries and dealt with people from the US and the Middle East. I thought talent was always on that side of the world. But when I met these people from south Asia who sat in their bedrooms and made incredible music, it opened my eyes to how much talent there was in the south Asian community. When you watch the documentary, it becomes apparent that you have to put in the work and have to surround yourself with good people. He spent his first year only listening, watching and learning stuff on YouTube. They planned their first nationwide tour within a span of six weeks. That speaks volumes [of his talent].