All that you need to know about Dev Joshi, the Indian actor who is part of SpaceX’s dearMoon crew

Expressing his excitement about going to space, Dev Joshi shared a video that has him talking about the dearMoon project. In the video, Dev introduced himself as a 22-year-old, who has been a professional actor for 18 years. The actor shared how he’s popularly known as the superhero Baal Veer. “I have heard and read many songs and poems since childhood when we regarded the moon as Chanda mama. To meet him face to face is an exciting time for me,” he shared with childlike glee.

 

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The actor then shared that while he cannot describe his excitement in words, he feels ‘over the moon’ or beyond that. He shared that he has always believed that to create the unimagined, one needs to experience the unexplored, and this was his opportunity. Dev added, “I think a lot of things will change for me and humankind after this. The world is changing really fast. A century back who would have imagined artistes traveling to the moon. Maybe in the near future, we will have films and shows being shot in space.”

Being the youngest person in the crew, Dev called it a ‘blessing’ to be able to represent millennials. The actor added that he is happy that he will have much more time to inspire the next generation. He also thanked his parents for always motivating him and teaching him to believe in his dreams.

 

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For Dev Joshi, it was his interest in the space that made him submit an application in the first place. The youngest member on the trip shared that the process of selection was really long. He had to go through physical tests, meetings and interviews, where the team checked whether he was fit to take the trip. “I also got to meet Yusaku Maezawa. There were around 10 lakh applications from all over the world and there were many rounds before the eight names were finalised. I always dreamt of this and now I’m actually going to the moon. I am extremely happy and excited,” he told Bombay Times.

The actor also shared that it was his passion for learning that gave him an edge. The 22-year-old also shared that Yusaku Maezawa, in an introductory video, mentioned how Dev was picked because he is “young, inspiring and motivating for the young generation in India.”

 

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More about Dev Joshi:

Dev Joshi was born on November 28, 2000 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The young actor has worked in more than 20 Gujarati movies and advertisements. However, it was Baal Veer, the SonySAB show in 2012, that made him a household name. The show wrapped up in 2016, following which, Dev played the young Chandra Shekhar Azad in the Star Bharat show by the same name. In 2019, Baalveer Returns, a sequel to Baal Veer, was announced, with Dev back in the titular role. The show wrapped up last year in June.

Apart from a number of awards for his acting, Dev was also honoured with the ‘Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar’ in 2019 for his contribution towards the field of art.