Mṛcchakatika
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Mṛcchakatika (The Little Clay Cart), also spelled Mrcchakatika, Mricchakatika, or Mrichchhakatika, is the name of a ten act Sanskrit play written by Śhudraka in the 2nd century BC. It is set in Avanti or Ujjain.
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[edit] Plot
Rife with romance, sex, court intrigue and comedy, the plot of the play has numerous twists and turns. The main story is about a young man named Charudatta, and his love for Vasantasena, a rich courtesan or nagarvadhu. The love affair is complicated by a royal courtier, who is also attracted to Vasantasena. The plot is further complicated by thieves and mistaken identities, and thus making it a hilarious and entertaining play.
[edit] Characters
- Charudatta
- Vasantsena
- Cheta-Kumbhilika
- Vidhushaka
[edit] Media
- The play invited widespread admiration when staged in New York in 1924.
- Utsav, a 1984 Hindi Bollywood film by Girish Karnad was based on an adaptation of this play.
- The Indian play depicted in the 2001 film Moulin Rouge!, "Spectacular Spectacular", may have been based on The Little Clay Cart.
[edit] Additional Reading
- Barrucand, Victor. Le Chariot De Terre Cuit, H. Piazza, Paris, 1921
- Parab, Kashinath Pandurang. Mrichchhakatika, commentary by Prithvidhara, Bombay: Nirlaya-Sagar Press. 1900
