mahakavi kalidas

Featuring nadigar thilakam Sivaji Ganesan, Sowkar Janaki, Vijaya and others, the movie is about the life of the great poet Kalidas.
Kalidas is born Rama and is very innocent, bordering imbecility. He is often a burden to his parents, but nevertheless they raise.
Sowcar is the princess of a country, who vows to marry only a man who can win her in intelligence. Many came to try their hand, however, if they are defeated (which all did), they are subject to shameful punishments, which was given by her father, the king. One such defeated poet vowed revenge. He found Rama and executed the plan so well that the princess was married to Rama.
After marriage when she finds out the truth, she is devastated and prays fervently to Kali, who answers her prayers and Rama becomes Kalidas (servant of Kali). With the new found genius, he realises that Sowcar is in the position of his teacher as she gave him the knowledge and leaves her to spread the word of Kali.
Sowcar is heartbroken and prays to the goddess again, who gives her a courtesan rebirth to be together with Kalidas. While Kalidas is performing at the king's court, he falls in love with the re-born Sowcar, while Sowcar's companion, Vijaya, is in love with Kalidas. Sowcar and Kalidas marry, while Vijaya is left jealous.
Since the queen is a great patron of arts, Kalidas spends much time with her for his muse. This angers Sowcar and a fight resumes between the couple. At the same time, people spread rumours about the non-existent relationship between the poet and the queen. Kalidas leaves the country to save the lady's reputation, which puts the king in sickbed. However, he finds a way to get him back and promises to pay whomsoever gets the challenge.
Sowcar hunts out to find her husband and just misses him, while Vijaya finds Kalidas in time to get the answer to the challenge and kills him. When she takes back the answer to the king, he knows something is amiss and finds the dead body of his poet. So ends the life of the poet.
One of my favourite stories by Kalidas is that of Shakuntala. Story was a bit of a drag and most of the things in the story was magical and unbelievable but a good break from the usual stories, although I felt that they could have picked a better person to do Sowcar's character.