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The Season 2 finale of Under the Brown Rainbow welcomes two guests: Manjusha (she/her) and Govind Pillai (he/him) – the producer and director-choreographer behind Temple of Desire, the boundary-pushing classical Indian dance work that sold out its Sydney Opera House season on 4–5 June 2026.

In this conversation with host Kashif Harrison, Manjusha and Govind unpack the world they've built with Karma Dance, a "sacred meets sensual" reimagining of Bharatanatyam that sits the classical form right next to queer and trans reality. They talk about reclaiming pre-colonial traditions that were "straight-washed" out of the art over 300 years of colonial influence, the lost poetry only now being translated, and why this work isn't an act of resistance but an act of love for the tradition itself.

We also hear about the long, latent journey of bringing personal queerness and artistic practice into congruence, the Mohiniyattam dance form as inherently trans, why art needs to lead social change (legislation alone can't move hearts), and what it means for brown queer storytelling to finally take the mainstage — followed by a closing-night party in the Opera House foyer with DJ Goddess Naavikaran.

Under the Brown Rainbow is hosted by Kashif Harrison and produced by Kunal Mirchandani. Presented by Trikone Australia.

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