Their office is always open-plan, the temperature is never right, and duty hours can be cruel. As far as workplaces go, theirs are a little more uncomfortable than ours. And yet, the women and men of Indian Army go about their business without a fuss.

Photographer Arjun Menon (@artleavesamark) got rare access to the frontlines of the Indian Army to document their workday. He spent weeks shadowing them—from the icy Himalayan peaks to the scorching sands; in bunkers, choppers, everywhere. Here are the stunning pictures and the story behind them:

“My dad was a pilot for the Indian Army



Like most kids that age, I used to feel that dad was the coolest. I mean, he was flying heavy metal machines stacked with guns and troops in some of the harshest environments on Earth, and still come home like it was no big deal. It was like GI Joe, for real. Sixteen years ago, we lost him to a helicopter crash. Somewhere, deep inside, I wanted to bring out some of this daredevilry of the Indian Army in a contemporary way. That was the inception of the project: ‘The Extraordinary’.”

“At first, officials at the Indian Army were skeptical



I don’t blame them at all. I was a random photographer asking to be sent to their secret bases for taking photographs. It took a while for them to get back. Then, I had to make multiple trips to Delhi to discuss the idea. Once they realised I was genuine, they were fully supportive, and went out of their way to make it happen. From arranging para-trooping sessions to helicopter rescue drills in difficult locations, they were as pumped for the project as I was.”

“I can’t tell you where I shot these…

But these were all remote bases. I would arrive at the base, spend a few days understanding the lay of the land, scouting locations and planning each image. We shot across all kinds of terrain: deserts, mountains and rainforests to show the kind of conditions the army operates in.”

“For this one shot…

We had three helicopters in the air holding position, and more than two dozen soldiers and officers on ground. With so much happening, there was zero room for error. But there was so much dust and wind all around, I wasn’t sure if I nailed the shot. My hands were trembling when I started reviewing the photographs. It was either the dust, or the focus—something was wrong in every frame. Had I just blown up one of the most amazing opportunities? But then, I found that one image that turned out exactly as I had hoped. This is that shot.”

“Seriously, hats off to the Indian Army

In the few weeks that I was shooting, the conditions varied from -18°C in the Himalayas to 48°C in the deserts. These are incredible people in working in environments that would make most of us give up in an instant. Small things made me rethink how comfortably numb we are to such living conditions.”

“Mission accomplished?

I have put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this project. Wonder what my dad would have said after seeing the images. The Indian Army has a shortage of over 9,000 officers. Through this project, if I can convince even one kid to consider the Indian Army as a successful career option, I would consider my mission accomplished.”

More photographs from the series: