Photos| The strength of will: A 22-year-old’s dream to make his mother proud

Dev Mishra’s arms and will, both are strong. From losing legs in a train mishap three years ago to hoping to see a better life through his calisthenics performance on a TV reality show, the 22-year-old is driven by one dream – to make his mother proud. Mishra’s is a story of grime, grit and glory. HT photographer Pratik Chorge gives a glimpse of his journey.

Updated on: Dec 05, 2018 10:05 AM IST

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Dev Mishra practices calisthenics on a vertical pole at Carter Road in Mumbai. Before moving to Mumbai, the 22-year-old lived in Uttar Pradesh with his siblings and mother, who worked as a farm labourer, taking care of the family after the death of his father at a young age. (Pratik Chorge / HT Photo)

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Mishra lost his legs in a train mishap three years ago. Wanting to end his mother’s miseries as the family’s breadwinner, Mishra came to Mumbai in August 2017. His initial days in the city were difficult, spent on the footpath on Carter Road, surviving on leftovers for meals. (Pratik Chorge / HT Photo)

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Life changed gears for Mishra when a local dance teacher, Vishal Paswan came to his aid. Paswan showed him a few dance moves, which Mishra picked up in no time, uncovering a talent. (Pratik Chorge / HT Photo)

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Paswan also helped him get a shared accommodation in Khar Danda. Mishra eventually began training in gymnastics, the strength of his arms translating into growing self-sufficiency. (Pratik Chorge / HT Photo)

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Hoping to see a better life through his calisthenics skills, Mishra managed to clear the auditions of a talent reality show and has been training even harder since. (Pratik Chorge / HT Photo)

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Meanwhile, hearing of his plight, jewellery designer Farah Ali Khan gifted him a cycle to travel and got funds to help him get prosthetic legs. He hopes to one day be able to walk with greater freedom using the prosthetics. (Pratik Chorge / HT Photo)

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Dev Mishra heads for practice from his home in Khar Danda. In the meanwhile, Mishra has his eyes set on progressing in the reality show and is also preparing to sit for his Class 12 exams. (Pratik Chorge / HT Photo)