He was born in Mumbai as a premature child. He graduated with honors in Chemistry from the University of Bombay. Later, he dropped out of engineering college. Due to his early difficulty in dealing with his homosexuality, he enrolled as a Hindu monk in the Ramakrishna Mission and studied theology. He has also studied at the International School of Journalism, Berlin, Germany.

Kavi is the spokesperson for two Indian gay support rights groups, Aanchal (shelter) and Humsafar (friend); he protested against the stand taken by the Vatican on same-sex marriages.

"Why this sudden hatred of homosexuals? Because it has become a political identity. Governments are trying to suppress it because they see it as a socially disruptive force."