Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c10.s2.t18.17

v2.c10.s2.t18.17

*Malavikagnimitra* is a five-act court comedy in a backdrop of Sunga Dynasty of Magadha in 2^nd century BCE. The story occurs in Pataliputra, a historical city in India. Malavika is a pretty princess, and due to war and the ensuing chaos, becomes a slave at the court of King Agnimitra. When the queen discovers her husband’s love for Malavika, she resolves not to let them meet. One day, in the garden, Agimitra meets Malavika by chance and could not help but reveal his passion for her. Learning of this, the queen has Malavika imprisoned. However, after finding out her identity that she is actually a princess, the queen agrees that Malavika and the King get married. Being a royal love story, this play has some things similar with Bhasa’s *Svapnavasavadatta*, but spiritually, it has not surpassed its predecessors. The play is dramatic and contains many concise and profound statements. Differing greatly from the other two plays, this play’s authorship has been questioned by some scholars, but it might have been an experiment by Kalidasa, that is it was his earliest play.