Then There Was Us

Zimmers of Southall: Hark1karan explores car culture and British Panjabi identity in West London

2025-01-22 – Feature

Photography, Car Culture, Panjabi, Punjabi

Zimmers of Southall began in 2019 as a documentary project by photographer and filmmaker Hark1karan, celebrating the classic BMW car scene within West London’s Punjabi community.

Co-directed by Alex Donaldson, the first film was released in 2022, followed by a sequel in 2023 that explored how the car culture created safe spaces for women in the community. Then, in the autumn of last year, the project culminated in a photobook.

Southall, the west London suburb (located some 20 km from the city's heart) is home to the largest Punjabi community outside India. Hark1karan, a British Punjabi, grew up in South London, but he and his family would often visit relatives there, where the culture left a deep impression.

“It felt like a place where you could connect with something bigger than yourself,” he recalls. As he got older, friendships in the area allowed him to spend even more time there, developing a deeper understanding of the community.

Much of his work focuses on the Punjabi and Sikh experience in the UK beginning with PIND, his first book, where he captured both personal and collective stories. “I hadn’t seen much representation of our people here—at least, not from someone who truly understood it,” he shares.

For Zimmers of Southall, Hark1karan used the local car culture as the foundation to explore the community. “I was drawn to cars because they felt like the perfect way to tell this story,” he explains. “I always wanted to tell a broader story, but I found myself exploring the community’s narrative through the lens of cars.”

In Southall, classic models and newer BMWs are everywhere, owned by people from all walks of life within the community. For Hark1karan, their significance goes beyond the visual, representing pride, joy, status, and individuality through creative modifications, and even a kind of safe space.

“It’s not just about the cars themselves,” he explains. “It’s the culture that surrounds them. The way people modify them, the pride they take in them, and the way they serve as places to connect. You see them everywhere—at weddings, religious processions, and just cruising the streets. They’re a constant presence, a part of daily life

He says that while he's not entirely sure what cars symbolise for the community as a whole, they seem deeply tied to Southall’s rich history of soundsystem and cruising culture. This culture, influenced by another of London’s major diasporic groups—the Caribbean community, who began arriving at the same time as Punjabis in the 1950s—has carried on across generations, inspiring newer soundsystems of Desi heritage, such as Rootd Youth (DJ Kullar), Ital Power Soundsystem, Vedic Roots Soundsystem, and the West London Dub Club.

The images in Zimmers of Southall beautifully encapsulate the conviviality and warmth of this unique culture. Shot on film, the photographs are both candid and intimate, reflecting the photographer's deep connection to the community. Moments of everyday life in Southall are thoughtfully documented, with cars serving as a unifying thread, seamlessly weaving through and connecting the stories.

London is a constantly changing city, and Southall is no exception. Southall has always been evolving,” Hark1karan explains. “The area is home to diverse communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Eastern Europe, each with their own experiences and stories. Nothing lasts forever, and Southall has certainly changed over time. Often, this change happens as people move on to seek new opportunities. Many leave as they climb the financial ladder, while new residents arrive and leave their mark on the area.”

The introduction of the Elizabeth Line has improved Southall’s connectivity to the rest of London, driving up house prices and bringing in new faces. “Gentrification is a complex issue,” Hark1karan says. “I think many people don’t fully understand it. I know individuals who travel from West London to socialize in places that are considered ‘gentrified,’ which can feel both ironic and contradictory.”

But, he recognizes the importance of considering who these changes are really for. “We all need safe spaces to live and connect with others,” he reflects. His work, through Zimmers of Southall, aims to preserve the culture and stories of the area, capturing a moment in time before these shifts erase it. “I hope my work helps ensure the community’s heritage isn’t forgotten amidst these changes.”

Zimmers of Southall is available here.

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