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Raftaar Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 1, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth16 November 1988

Age36 Years

BirthplaceTrivandrum, Kerala

ProfessionRapper, Lyricist, Music Composer, Dancer, TV Personality

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseManraj Jawanda

FamilyFather: K.K Devdasan; Mother: Lalitha Nair

Raftaar Biography

Raftaar (born Dilin Nair) is an Indian rapper, lyricist, music composer, dancer and television personality from Trivandrum, Kerala. He rose through the hip

Early life and background

Dilin Nair, who performs under the stage name Raftaar, was born on 16 November 1988 in Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram), Kerala. Raised in a Malayali family, he spent parts of his childhood in hostels in Haryana where he learned Punjabi, Haryanvi and Hindi in addition to his native language. Raftaar attended multiple schools across New Delhi and Sonipat, including Mount Abu Public School, Sachdeva Public School and Shiva Shiksha Sadan. He later completed a Bachelor of Computer Application from Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies in New Delhi.

Career

Raftaar began making music in the late 2000s by recording tracks with friends and uploading them online. Early collaborations included work with Lil Golu and Young Amli (now Ikka). He joined the Mafia Mundeer collective and worked alongside established names in Punjabi and Hindi music, but later left the group and went through a series of management and label changes that included associations with RDB, Three Records and Manj Musik.

His first widely noted single appeared in 2012, and his film music credits began around the same time. By 2013 he gained broader recognition with the song that helped raise his profile in the mainstream. Raftaar launched a formal solo phase of his career after signing with Zee Music Company in 2016 and has since released albums, singles, EPs and tracks for film soundtracks in multiple languages.

Notable releases include his 2018 album Zero to Infinity, which collected songs such as Baby Marvake Maanegi, Saare Karo Dab, Gall Goriye, Lonely and Woh Chori. He released the album Mr. Nair in 2020 and two EPs: BAR’ISH EP (2020) and HARD DRIVE Vol. 1 (2022). Singles spread across his career include Sniper (2014), Desi Hip Hop (2015), Baby Marvake Maanegi (2017), Ghana Kasoota (2021) and Kaali Car (2022). He has also written and performed songs for several Indian films, contributing tracks to projects like Gabbar is Back, Dishoom, The Final Exit, Andhadhun and Janhit Mein Jaari.

Raftaar has worked across regional industries as well: in 2017 he entered the Bengali music scene, singing the title track for the film One and producing and rapping on the song Dekho Dekho Chaamp for Chaamp.

Television and public roles

Beyond recording and performing, Raftaar has maintained a steady presence on Indian television. He participated in Dance India Dance early in his career and later appeared on reality and competitive programming. He has been a contestant on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 8 and served as a gang leader on MTV’s Roadies in multiple seasons (Roadies Xtreme, Roadies: Real Heroes and Roadies: Revolution). He has judged shows including Dance India Dance: Battle Of The Champions and MTV Hustle, and he hosted a talk-style show, Swag On with Raftaar, which discussed political and social topics.

He is also a co-founder of the music label Kalamkaar and has collaborated with brands and artists, including participating in the Breezer Vivid Shuffle initiative.

Public profile

Raftaar is known for his energetic performances, tattoos and a public image that blends rap, dance and songwriting. Physically, he is reported as approximately 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) tall and around 70 kg (154 lbs). He has visible tattoos on his shoulders, chest, wrist and hand.

His career has included moments of dispute and controversy. He has publicly spoken about credit issues with collaborators earlier in his career, and has acknowledged incidents where remarks made during performances led to apologies. A 2014 disagreement over songwriting credits brought him into a public dispute with another artist; in 2019 he apologized for language used while addressing a political issue at a concert. In 2022 he also acknowledged resemblance between one of his music videos and a video by an international artist and asked fans not to target the music itself.

Personal life

Raftaar’s personal life has been public to an extent. He married Komal Vohra in December 2016; the couple divorced in June 2022. He is listed as married to Manraj Jawanda. His parents are named K.K. Devdasan and Lalitha Nair.

Latest updates

Across the 2010s and early 2020s Raftaar continued to release music, appear on television and expand his work as a composer and songwriter for films. His more recent projects include singles released through 2022, the HARD DRIVE Vol. 1 EP and ongoing activity as a television personality and label founder. He remains active in recording, live shows and media appearances.
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Recent Work

HARD DRIVE Vol. 1

EP released in 2022 including songs such as Microphone Check and GANGNUM.

2022
Kaali Car (single)

Single released in 2022.

2022
Mr. Nair (album)

Album released in 2020 featuring tracks like Main Wahi Hoon and Bottal Wargi.

2020
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Career Highlights

  1. Began career uploading tracks online and collaborating with early peers
  2. Gained mainstream attention with songs and film tracks from 2012 onward
  3. Released albums Zero to Infinity (2018) and Mr. Nair (2020) and multiple EPs and singles
  4. Served as gang leader and judge on prominent Indian reality shows
  5. Co-founded the music label Kalamkaar
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Raftaar born?

16 November 1988

What is Raftaar known for?

Rapper, Lyricist, Music Composer, Dancer, TV Personality

What is Raftaar’s marital status?

Married

Who is Raftaar married to?

Manraj Jawanda