As a storyteller

Kai Rae Khushi weaves tales that touch souls. Her performances are not just sequences of movements; they are immersive journeys, transporting audiences into an emotional, transcendental world. She is a celebration of art, beauty, culture, and unapologetic embodiment. From being the mother of her own production company, Spice It Up, to performing with acts like BBNO$, Kai Rae Khushi is a multi-disciplinary, spellbinding artist, choreographer, and performer with a magic unlike anything else. 

KAI RAE KHUSHI IN CREEP SHOW, 2025

I create because…

I want South Asian queer joy to take up space. I create because art is how I stay connected—to my ancestors, to my community, to myself.

My work is a bridge between past and present, between India and Canada, between tradition and rebellion. It is my way of saying:

We exist. We are beautiful. We are worthy of being seen.

Where am I from?

I’m born and raised in Mumbai, India. The city of immense passion and big dreams to someday be able to call myself an artist. In Mumbai I got introduced to art at the age of 6 years where I trained for the following 7 years in classical Indian dance called Bharatnatyam, slowly after that moved into more street styles. My art began long before I ever stepped onto a stage. It began in my grandmother’s stories—tales whispered in warm kitchens, stories of gods and rebels, of love and mischief, of courage and consequence. Those stories taught me that art is not separate from life; it is how we remember who we are.

I am endlessly inspired by the world my ancestors built: The crafted art of pre‑colonial Indian temples; the carvings that hold entire universes in a single gesture; the textiles where every motif has a lineage; the colours that speak without words

These designs weren’t just beautiful—they were intentional. They carried memory, meaning, and identity. I try to bring that same intention into every act I create.

And then there is Indian cinema—the drama, the music, the dance, the emotion that refuses to apologize for being big. Bollywood taught me that art can be both extravagant and deeply human. It taught me that storytelling can be a celebration.

All of these influences—my grandmother, my culture, my heritage, my queerness—come together in my work.

I create because I believe art brings people together.
I create because I want South Asian stories to be seen with pride.
I create because joy is a form of resistance.