All ‘Worked Up’ With Nowhere To Leave: Photo Series Explores Work From Home

I would call being worked up and stuck in our rooms as we navigate the new work-from-home culture in 2020 a sign of the times one that has followed many into 2021. Coincidentally, my co-workers and I were discussing our work from home routine this morning, particularly our want to go back to an office setting. Despite all our whining, I believe that we are all just grateful to even have a job during these times. Echoing this sentiment is the ‘Worked Up’ photo series shot by Sahil Behal and conceptualised and styled by Rupangi Grover.

Telling us about the photoseries, Rupangi expresses our collective sentiment of excitement at the start of the lockdown when the prospect of working from the comfort of our homes felt too good to be true. She tells us, “For those of us who were lucky enough to stay afloat, working from the safety of our homes, initially, it felt as though we had hit the jackpot. The brilliant scenario of working from outside the office, sitting in the comfort of our homes, quickly turned into feeling as though we were living at work.”

The utopia we sought, soon turned into an endless loop of blurred lines between work and home and it is this that Sahil and Rupangi along with their team wish to convey through their series. “With no clear hours in place, constant emails and Zoom calls – the average 9-5 transformed into 9 to never. Glued to our screens, only physically present with our families, coupled with the anxiety of the pandemic and work deadlines was a stressful space that a lot of people navigated. Once the lockdowns were lifted, we shot this story on a terrace with a small team, discussing the distress, joy, and the confusion of being employed during this strange time,” Rupangi expresses candidly.

The photo series is an honest portrayal of work in the times of COVID-19, of the duality of it all – the burden, the joy, the exhaustion, the comfort, the frustration and mostly having the option to do any of it.

The photo series was shot during the peak of lockdown at Sahil’s roof with a small team and with necessary precautions. The photo series is a result of collective effort and talent by the team.

Credits:

Concept, Styling & Words : Rupangi Grover

Shot By: Sahil Behal

Hair & Make Up: Pooja Rohira Fernandes

Models : Dipti Pawar from Anima Creative Management and Gahan Chowdary

If you enjoyed reading this article, we suggest you also read:

Living At Work: Mapping The Highs & Lows Of Working From Home

‘My School Is In My Computer’: 16-Year-Old Indian Student On Online Schooling

‘The Breakfast Affair’ Is A Lavish South Asian Dream Spread