Pranav Birje | Senior Correspondent
Mumbai, 20th August 2025: Raftaar aka Dilin Nair spilled the beans on InControversial by Pooja Chaudhri, and true to the show’s name, he held nothing back. From rejecting Bigg Boss and reflecting on his struggles, to calling out the industry’s obsession with numbers and sharing his dream collab, the rapper opened up in a way that only Raftaar can.
“Bigg Boss is not my kind of show”
While Raftaar has been a familiar face on reality TV — from Hustle to Traitors — he drew a clear line on one of India’s most popular shows. “I’ll do reality shows, but Bigg Boss is not my kind of show. I would lose it very quickly,” he admitted.
On struggles and family support
The rapper revisited his early days, from distributing pamphlets on the streets to chasing every small gig that came his way. Yet he refuses to call it struggle. “Even when I was distributing pamphlets on the road, I was having fun. I never thought of it as a struggle,” he recalled. His biggest strength, he said, was his parents’ mindset, “My father always said, if nothing happens, we’ll put up a food cart, but we’ll never starve.”
On hip-hop and rivalries
Raftaar’s honesty extended to India’s hip-hop culture, where rivalries and squads dominate the scene.“It’s clans. Whoever feels like they are a minority, they make a clan. That’s why in hip-hop it’s always my squad versus your squad,” he explained.
On his much-debated history with Yo Yo Honey Singh, Raftaar 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.” And yet, there’s no insecurity: “If my brother’s song is a hit, let it be a hit. I have no insecurity.”
On the music industry
Taking aim at the darker side of the music business, he said, “The most toxic thing about the music industry is exactly how the whole world works – numbers over art, commercials over art.”
On his dream collaboration
Raftaar also shared the one collaboration that has eluded him, “My dream collab was with DMX. That is 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.”
On love and marriage
Beyond the stage, Raftaar spoke warmly about his wife and the balance they’ve found together. “She has made herself a Nair completely now. In today’s day and age, where everybody is like ‘my identity,’ she has chosen my name as her identity. That feels special.” And at home? “She’s calling the shots. And I let her.”
Bold, funny, and unfiltered – Raftaar showed why he remains one of Indian hip-hop’s most authentic voices.
Raftaar aka Dilin Nair Says “Bigg Boss Is Not My Kind of Show.”
