Rapper Raftaar is grabbing the headlines after his latest song Mantoiyat from Nawazuddin Siddiqui's Manto, was recently released on YouTube. Amid positive reviews, Raftaar was slammed by Korean Band BTS’ fans for “plagiarism”.

Later, Raftaar responded to the accusations on Twitter, claiming that it is not his fault that the songs look similar. Mumbai-based filmmaker Shalini Harshwal directed Mantoiyat, which is composed and sung by Raftaar.

Check out Raftaar's tweet here

 

 


But, did you know, Raftaar is a Malayalee? Yes, his real name is Dilin Nair and he was born in 1988 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

His parents wanted him to have the identity of a Kerala-born Malayalee, even if Delhi was their home. However, Dilin Nair turned into Raftaar, donning flashy clothes, indoor glasses and sporting tattoos on his body.

In a Facebook post, he wrote, "People think I am a Sikh, I am not, I am a Kshatriya from Kerala but I respect the values of Sikhism from the bottom of my heart. Thanks for making me a part of the Punjabi Music industry. Thank you for letting someone from South India be a part of the North Indian music movement. With all my love and respect here is my take on SHERA DI KAUM (sic)."
 

According to a report in Indian Express, Raftaar is the only child to his parents. His father was a cleaner with the Indian Railways and mother a typist. They lived in a one-room apartment in a society in Munirka, Dehli, where they had to share a  kitchen and toilet with six other families.

Last year, Raftaar married his longtime girlfriend Komal D Vohra in Delhi. Both met through a mutual friend six years ago.