Mahakavi Kalidasu

Mahakavi Kalidasu
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Kamalakara Kameswara Rao
Produced by	K. Nagamani P. Suri Babu
Written by	Pingali Nagendra Rao (story /screenplay /dialogues)
Based on	Life of Kālidāsa
Starring	Akkineni Nageswara Rao Sriranjani
Music by	Pendyala Nageswara Rao
Cinematography	Annayya
Edited by	R. V. Rajan
Production company	Sarani Productions
Distributed by	Navayuga Films
Release date	2 April 1960 (1960-04-02)
Running time	150 mins
Country	India
Language	Telugu

Mahakavi Kalidasu (Telugu: మహాకవి కాళిదాసు) is a 1960 Telugu, biographical film, based on the life of the great Sanskrit poet Kālidāsa produced by K. Nagamani, P. Suri Babu on Sarani Productions banner and directed by Kamalakara Kameswara Rao. Starring Akkineni Nageswara Rao played the title role Sriranjani as the female lead and music composed by Pendyala Nageswara Rao.

An innocent retarded shepherd (Akkineni Nageswara Rao) acts as the poet. But he was a great devotee of goddess Mahakali. There lived a king in his kingdom whose daughter was a great scholar. She told that she would marry the person who would answer her questions. Many scholars tried their luck but could not answer her questions. One of the scholars felt insulted and wanted to take revenge. While he was walking in the forest he met Kalidas and found that there would be no foolish person other than Kalidas because he was cutting the branch in which he was sitting. He thought he could take revenge by making him marry the princess. He convinced Kalidas by saying that he could marry the princess without speaking a word. So Kalidas in the disguise of poet went to the kingdom along with the scholar who wanted to take the revenge. Saying the king that the poet would not speak today the scholars answered the king's daughters questions in a different way which Kalidas meant in a different way. The princess impressed by his answers married Kalidas. Later she knows that she had been fooled and faints in depression. Kalidas feels sad and prays to goddess Kali to give him the knowledge of everything. Impressed by his severe penance goddess Kali gives him knowledge of all the Vedas etc. So he forgets his past and becomes a great scholar. On his way, he meets many kings and one of them Bhoja Raju (S. V. Ranga Rao) requests him to stay in his kingdom. Kalidas agrees. Meanwhile, his daughter gets attracted to the poet. But his wife comes to know the place where he is staying after many days of searching him. But Kalidas could not recognize her.But she works as an apprentice to him. She feels insulted from the king's daughter when she asks her why she has been always with Kalidas even when they are talking personal matters. At last Kalidas comes to know about his wife due to Devi Kali's grace and rejoins with her and the king's daughter begs for forgiveness from Kalidasa's wife for her mean behavior.