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HomeThePrint ProfileBaalveer will go to moon, this time for real—Dev Joshi makes SpaceX...

Baalveer will go to moon, this time for real—Dev Joshi makes SpaceX crew

Dev Joshi is the youngest crew member and was selected along with the seven others from one million applicants from 249 countries.

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A Gujarati actor, a Japanese billionaire, a K-pop rapper and five others will fly to the moon. It’s the perfect opening for a bar joke, but this group is set to make history.

Indian actor and influencer Dev Joshi, 22, is among the group of eight people who will fly to the moon in 2023 in a SpaceX flight. This is the first civilian mission to the moon. Dev is the youngest crew member and was selected along with seven others from  one million applicants from 249 countries.

Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa announced the winners on Twitter and dearMoon website. The fashion tycoon bought every seat on the maiden lunar voyage.  As per the schedule uploaded on the website, the project announcement of dearMoon was done in 2018 and the crew selection began in 2021.

Dev has been part of the entertainment industry since the age of three and his work portfolio includes several television series, more than 20 Gujarati movies, music albums, stage shows and commercials. Joshi started out by playing young Shaurya in television drama Kashi-Ab Na Rahe Tera Kagaz Kora in 2010. But he is most popularly known for his portrayal of the titular character Baalveer in the television series of the same name.

From fantasy to reality

Joshi is no stranger to space suits as he has been wearing them since 2012 for his acting assignments. Joshi shot to instant stardom with his portrayal of the space superhero Baalveer in Sab TV in 2012. The show ran for four years. In a video shared on the dearMoon website, the actor says, “You have seen me flying in space as a superhero. Time to make it real.”

Due to the massive popularity of the show, Baalveer Returns was introduced on Sony’s OTT platform in September 2019.

Its second season came out on 5 April 2021. Each episode of the show uploaded on YouTube has views ranging upwards of five million.

Dev Joshi played the senior Baalveer in Baalveer Returns, who is the saviour of Dharti Lok (Earth). Set in the fantasy world of Veer Lok and Kaal Lok, the series looks at Baalveer’s quest for his successor. He fights against the antagonist Timnasa, played by Bigg Boss 14 fame Pavitra Punia, and eventually sacrifices his life to save the universe.

Joshi has also played the role of teen Chandra Shekhar Azad in the 2018 Star Bharat series Chandrashekhar. Joshi’s latest commercial project has been playing Lord Swaminrayan in the Gujarati film Purn Purshottam Shri Swamnarayan Bhagwan, released on 20 November 2022. He is currently working on the third season of Baalveer Returns.

Variety of interests

Born in 2004, Dev has always juggled various passions, including politics. In an interview to The Times of India, he said “I was always curious about the country’s governance and political issues. That is the reason I chose to study it. I would love to be a part of India’s administrative service if I can.”

As a child actor, Joshi had to balance academics with his professional career. And his parents constantly supported every endeavour of his. As a 13-year-old, Joshi told Hindustan Times in an interview, “To excel in anything, hard work and dedication are required.” His mantra has clearly paid off, as he joins the crew that also includes TOP, the K-pop star Choi Seung Hyun and Japanese American musician DJ Aoki.

Joshi is pursuing a Master’s in International Affairs and Diplomacy from the United Nations Institute of Training and Research. In July 2020, he also started an NGO D3 Caring Social Club, distributes food and clothes to needy citizens.

“To create something unimagined yet, we need to explore something unexplored yet,” Joshi says in his dearMoon video where he expresses his excitement at being selected for the journey. Joshi is also seen gifting Yusaku Maezawa with a traditional Gujarati vest.

Joshi was awarded the Bal Shakti Puraskar in 2019,  the highest civilian honour in India for those under 18, for being a positive role model for youngsters. “After the project, I will have more scope to inspire future generations and share my thoughts,” he says.

Joshi will have to undergo a training programme before he gets aboard Starship and Super Heavy Rocket, the next-generation reusable launch vehicle developed by SpaceX.

(Edited by Ratan Priya)

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