 His mother, the late Karthika Tirunal Indira Bai (1926-2017), was the Matriarch of the Travancore Royal Family.His father, the late Kilimanoor Kerala Varma, was an advocate, industrialist, poet, novelist and translator.He is the grandson of the last ruling Maharani of Travancore, Sethu Lakshmi Bayi, and the great grandson of the artist Raja Ravi Varma.