Kālidās, or Kalidasa, was a Sanskrit poet and dramatist and one of the most important later poets in later India. Known to be an ardent worshipper of Shiva, he wrote his plays and poetry largely based around Hindu mythology and philosophy.
Very little is known about Kalidasa's life and background, although there are many myths surrounding him. Clearly he was a well-educated Brahmin and probably lived in the 4th Century. From his writings it is surmised he was born near the foothills of the Himalayas, although his poems espousing the beauty of the city of Ujjain suggests he may have lived there for much of his life.
From his poems we can also ascertain he traveled throughout India, searching for knowledge. He was also a worshipper of the goddess Kali. His name literally means ‘Kali’s servant.”
Legend has it that he was murdered by a courtesan in Sri Lanka.

There are three notable plays written by Kalidasa: Mālavikāgnimitram (Mālavikā and Agnimitra), Vikramorvaśīya (Pertaining to Vikrama and Urvashi) and Abhijñānaśākuntalam (The Recognition of Sakuntala).
Mālavikāgnimitram tells the story of King Agnimitra, who falls in love with the picture of an exiled servant girl named Mālavikā. When his queen discovers her husband's obsession, she becomes has Mālavikā imprisoned. But fate intercede and Mālavikā turns out to be a real princess, and the king is allowed to consummate the affair.
Kalidasa's second play, Abhijñānaśākuntalam tells the story of another king, Dushyanta, who falls in love with another girl of lowly birth, Shakuntala. The enjoy a happy life, however, until fate intervenes. When the king away, his pregnant bride unintentionally offends a saint who puts a curse on her, erasing the woman’s image entirely from the king's memory. The saint offers one ray of hope in that the king's memory will return only when bride returns to the king the ring he gave her. But the girl loses the ring while bathing. Finally, a fisherman finds the ring, the king's memory returns and all’s well that ends well. Shakuntala is noted for both its beautiful love poetry, and its comedy.
Vikramōrvaśīyam, is more mystical than the earlier plays although it follows a similar plot. This time, the king (Pururavas) falls in love with a nymph named Urvashi. After writing her mortal suitor a love letter on a birch leaf, Urvashi returns to the heavens to perform in a celestial play. However, she is so smitten that she misses her cue and pronounces her lover's name during the performance. As a punishment for ruining the play, Urvashi is banished from heaven, but cursed to return the moment her human lover lays eyes on the child that she will bear him. Eventually, the curse is eventually lifted, and the lovers are allowed to remain together on Earth. This play has been compared to Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream.

The Cloud Messenger

Meghadūta ("The Cloud Messenger") is considered to be one of the greatest Sanskrit poems.
By Indian standards it is a short poem (only 111 stanzas,). It recounts how a Yaksa, an attendant of Kubera (the God of Wealth) after being exiled for a year to central India for some unknown transgression, convinces a passing cloud to take a message to his wife on Mount Kailasa in the Himalayas. The yaksa accomplishes this by describing the many beautiful sights the cloud will see on its northward course to the city of Alaka, where his wife awaits his return.
In 1813, the poem was first translated into English by Horace Hayman Wilson.
An excerpt is quoted in Canadian director Deepa Mehta's film, Water.