Richard Watts is joined by playwright Shakti Shakthidharan and actor Manali Datar to discuss their upcoming production The Wrong Gods, which is playing at RISING Festival in July and co-produced by Melbourne Theatre Company and Belvoir St Theatre. Shakti is perhaps best known for his play Counting and Cracking, which recently broke numerous records at the Green Room Theatre Awards. In a strange quirk of fate, Manali was greatly inspired watching the play whilst ushering at 2024’s RISING, so she seized at the opportunity to be involved in this project. Richard asks Shakti about the environmental inspirations behind this story, as well as what it’s been like for Manali to be part of an all South Asian female cast.