Mālavikāgnimitram
This is believed to be Kāḷidāsa first work. It is a story about the love between King Agnimitra and the dancer Māḷavikā. Kāḷidāsa preference for romance and art is brought out in an engrossing manner here. It is a five-act drama with a very simple plot that develops in a swift manner.
The love story of Agnimitra and Māḷavikā and the political climate during that time are interspersed with the story. Māḷavikā, though a princess, due to certain circumstances became the handmaiden of King Agnimitra’s wife Dhāriṇi. Irvati was the second wife of Agnimitra. As Māḷavikā was extremely beautiful, Dhāriṇi wanted to hide her from her husband Agnimitra. Māḷavikā was an exceptional dance student of her teacher Gaṇadāsa. There was another dance teacher called Haradatta and there was always a healthy rivalry between these teachers. One day, King Agnimitra sees Māḷavikā with his wife. She looked like a beautiful painting to him and he falls in love with her and wants to meet her alone. One of his friends, the court jester, assures of arranging a meeting with Māḷavikā. To fulfill his promise, the jester creates a quarrel between the two dance teachers. The jester asks them to prove their excellence by showcasing the performance of their students in front of the King. As per the jester’s plan, Māḷavikā performs in front of the King on behalf of her teacher. Jester and his friends create more such occasions for their meeting and Māḷavikā and the king’s love intensifies. Dhāriṇi, Agnimitra’s wife tries to separate them but even after facing a lot of obstacles, the king and Māḷavikā get married. Māḷavikā true identity as a princess is also revealed before marriage.
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