Rapper Raftaar aka Dilin Nair brought his trademark honesty to InControversial with Pooja Chaudhri, and true to the show’s name, he didn’t hold back. From rejecting Bigg Boss to reflecting on his early grind, calling out the industry’s obsession with numbers, and revealing his dream collaboration, Raftaar proved once again why he’s one of Indian hip-hop’s most unfiltered voices.
“Bigg Boss is not my kind of show”
Though no stranger to reality TV (Hustle, Traitors), Raftaar admitted he’d never step into the Bigg Boss house. “I’ll do reality shows, but Bigg Boss is not my kind of show. I would lose it very quickly,” he confessed.
On his journey and family strength
Looking back at his early days — from distributing pamphlets on the streets to hustling for small gigs — Raftaar refused to label it as struggle. “Even when I was distributing pamphlets, I was having fun. I never thought of it as a struggle,” he said, crediting his parents’ mindset for keeping him grounded. “My father always said, if nothing happens, we’ll put up a food cart, but we’ll never starve.”
Hip-hop, rivalries & Honey Singh
Raftaar opened up about India’s hip-hop scene, where rivalries run deep. “It’s clans. Whoever feels like a minority, they form a clan. That’s why it’s always my squad versus your squad,” he explained.
On his history with Yo Yo Honey Singh, he turned controversy into strategy: “I use my history with Honey Singh as an advantage for my algorithm. His song becomes a hit, my name trends with it too. It all works, bro. If my brother’s song is a hit, let it be a hit. I have no insecurity.”
On the music industry
Calling out its darker side, Raftaar said, “The most toxic thing about the music industry is how the whole world works — numbers over art, commercials over art.”
His dream collab
Raftaar revealed the collaboration he always wished for: “My dream collab was with DMX. That’s never going to happen, but I’ll try to contact his estate, get some of his old verses, and add my part to it. At least I’ll have my dream with me.”
Love, marriage & balance
Speaking about his wife, Raftaar shared a softer side. “She has made herself a Nair completely now… she has chosen my name as her identity. That feels special. At home? She’s calling the shots. And I let her.”
Bold, funny, and heartfelt, Raftaar once again reminded fans why he remains one of the most authentic voices in Indian hip-hop.
