07 September,2026 02:10 PM IST | Mumbai | Rachel Pereira
Rappers Raftaar and KRSNA at student protests. Pics via X
For Raftaar and KRSNA, showing up for students during the student protests was not about making a statement for the cameras. The rappers were among the celebrities who chose to be physically present on the ground, with Raftaar joining the protests in Mumbai and KRSNA making his way to Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Their show Legacy also chose to reschedule an episode in solidarity with the students.
Speaking exclusively to mid-day, Raftaar said there was barely any deliberation behind his decision. "It was the right thing to do and we did it," he said. But with celebrity activism often attracting questions about intent, they were asked whether their presence or Legacy postponing an episode could be perceived as a publicity move.
Raftaar's answer was to simply not make the gesture about yourself. "I think we do it by not elaborating on it much because we did it for the cause," he said, adding that he would continue to show up when necessary.
For KRSNA, the absence of self-promotion was equally deliberate. "I never posted about it, never talked about it really," he said. "The point was to show support." He, however, did not shy away from calling out what he sees as selective activism among Bollywood celebrities.
"I feel like there are people in this industry that might do it because they are getting eyeballs because it's very obvious," he said. "I feel like if you are doing it for the right cause, then do it for everything. Don't do it for the right people."
His comments come at a time when celebrities are routinely scrutinised for choosing when and where to speak up, particularly when their social media presence can amplify a cause overnight. "You just show up because it's the right thing to do," KRSNA said. "You don't show up because there is a reason behind it."
Raftaar also recalled being present at the India Gate protests following the Nirbhaya case, saying, "I was there when the Nirbhaya march happened. I took all those tears, smoke and everything." He added, "I think we are the generation who are going to be there," reflecting on how such experiences have shaped their response to student movements. For Raftaar, the connection between that stance and hip-hop is particularly significant. "Hip-hop has always been the voice of the new generation, the oppressed, or however you want to name it," he said.
That idea of giving the younger generation a voice also runs through Legacy, the hip-hop reality show where the rappers are now looking for artists who can define what comes next for the genre. KRSNA stressed that the show's objective is not to "build clones" or create artists in the mentors' image. Instead, the aim is to help contestants become the "best versions of themselves as artists".
That philosophy also extends to how they view struggle stories on reality television. Raftaar does not believe a difficult past should automatically give a contestant an advantage. "We all come from different places in life. Some people talk about it, some people don't like to talk about it," he said. Legacy wants to provide them with the opportunity that may have been missing. "Can you rap? Very good. Can you turn this into a career and support your life? Very good. Join us. It's as simple as that."
In an era where artists can find an audience through reels and short-form content, KRSNA believes aspiring rappers should focus on making good music rather than reverse-engineering songs for the internet. "We want them to be proper artists. And if some virality happens because of that, then that's great. That's a bonus. That's a by-product."
Five years from now, the team hopes Legacy will have helped create a bigger ecosystem for Indian hip-hop, not just one successful artist. As Ankit Khanna, the co-creator, put it, "One show can't change the entire country." But he hopes the platform can become the beginning of a larger movement, with more shows, more labels and more opportunities entering the genre. Legacy is currently streaming on ZEE5, with new episodes releasing every Tuesday and Friday at 7 pm.
