In the winter of 2020, actor, writer, and producer Raimu Itfum launched Chai with Rai, an Instagram Live show designed to spark weekly conversations with guests from across the creative industries. The goal was to peel back the layers of glamour and explore the deeper realities of life as a working artist—discussing the business, mindset, culture, and lifestyle of creativity, all while sharing a warm cup of chai.

The live show quickly gained momentum and transitioned into a podcast format, now available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Audible, and other major platforms. In recognition of his work, Raimu was awarded two producing residencies to further grow the brand—first by WeWork in 2023, and then by Soho House in 2024.

Chai with Rai has since completed six seasons, featuring over 115 guests, including Grammy Award-winner Zachary James, Artistic Director of Tara Theatre Natasha Kathi-Chandra, filmmaker Justice Jamal Jones, couture designer Saran Kohli, LGBTQ+ activist and acclaimed photographer Sunil Gupta, and international DJ and ballroom icon Jay Jay Revlon, among many others. The platform serves as a space for both emerging and established artists—a creative hub where individuals not only share their stories but also challenge and deconstruct traditional narratives and structures within the industry, encouraging more authentic, inclusive, and disruptive dialogue.

As the platform evolved, it began focusing on original storytelling and audio production. In 2024, Chai with Rai launched the acclaimed audio series Symphonies of Beaded Threads, supported by London Friend. The series featured audio portraits by female, non-binary, and neurodiverse writers exploring themes of heritage, identity, and form.

In 2025, in collaboration with the LGBTQ+ Community Centre at London Bankside, the platform introduced a new audio series: An Ode: Reframing the Classics—continuing its mission to amplify diverse voices and creative perspectives. 

Selected as Artist of the Month for July 2025, Raimu Itfum presented An Ode: Reframing the Classics as a public exhibition at Theatre Deli,  which opened throughout July and was free to attend.

This exhibition seeked to reframe and celebrate storytelling through a queer lens. At its heart was a curated selection of original audio works by ; Amar Bains, Rupinder Kaur, Tarek Khwiss, Punya Rajput, Bethany Henry Gemmell, Gayathiri Kamalakanthan and Anthony Pius. Complementing the audio stories were three short films:

• Queerifying the Dulhan by Sammy Kumar

• The Search by Rupinder Kaur

• Jheel by Raimu Itfum — a preview of their forthcoming poetry mixtape MYTHS: From the Diary of Just A F£@K Boy with Feelings, scheduled for release later this year.