3 Review(s)

About the Book:-The Malavikagnimitra furnishes us with a vivid picture of a native court in the most flourishing period of Indian history, probably about the third century after Christ. An attempt was indeed made by the late Professor Wilson to show that the play could not have been written before the tenth or eleventh century, and was therefore not the work of the great Kalidasa. So far from the internal evidence being against the traditional belief that the play is the work of the great Kalidasa, a great many coincidences of style and thought between this and the other works attributed to him are pointed out by the above mentioned scholars. This book is a five-act drama written by Kalidasa in the 5th century CE. The story is a light tale set in a harem, and, unlike Kalidasa’s other works, it sustains a playful and comical mood throughout. It concerns the machinations of King Agnimitra to win Malavika, a female dance student with whom he is in love. Believed to be Kalidasa’s first work, it is the love story of King Agnimitra and the court dancer Malavika. The tale unfolds through humorous palace interludes, vivid descriptions of fine arts and the cunning machinations of court players. Even in this early work, Kalidasa’s characteristic penchant for romance, art and natural beauty are evident at every delightful turn of the plot. He transforms a simple tale of forbidden love into an engrossing courtly drama filled with beauty, humour and wit.