Brampton Underground

Director/Producer: Anupa Mistry

Producer: Radha Pithadia

Production Company: Scenario Media

Broadcaster: CBC

If you grew up in the suburbs, you’ve probably spent some time hanging out in parking lots. This is still a rite of passage in Brampton, one of Canada’s fastest growing cities, where parks and parking lots are the sites of a grassroots hip-hop scene built by young Punjabi migrants. Brampton Underground is a short documentary about this community, and how their fates and friendships are impacted by Canada’s shifting immigration policies.

In snatches of time, between shifts (and sometimes on the job), these young men write lyrics, record songs, perform, and make content....regular aspiring-rapper stuff. But stardom is distant on the horizon. Some aspire to be like Sidhu Moosewala — a Punjabi hip-hop artist who became a global star from Brampton — and see a future in Canada as a part of their come up. Some have their creative ambitions tempered by family pressures to make money and get married. And others can’t see a future beyond the end of their work visas.

Enter the cypher: a space to improvise, flex, express, and survive. It’s a temporary zone mirroring the fleeting years between late adolescent freedom and the expectations of adulthood. Their music, which carries the poetic legacies of Punjab, is a collision of hip-hop fantasy, cultural pride, and the dreams and challenges of being an immigrant. Set against the backdrop of 2.1 million temporary resident permits expired or set to expire in 2026, Brampton Underground follows the personal stories of young people and is an examination of a city in transition.