Who is considered as the 'Hindu' counterpart of Shakespeare?

• A. Vyasa
• B. Kalidasa
• C. Rabindranath Tagore
• D. T. S. Eliot

Answer: (B)

Kalidasa is frequently hailed as the Shakespeare of India because of his extraordinary command of Sanskrit drama and poetry, and his lasting influence on Indian literature. He created enduring works like Shakuntala, which blends love, fate, and nature with precise language and strong dramatic structure, while his poetry such as Meghaduta showcases vivid imagery and deep emotional insight. This combination of linguistic mastery, versatility across tragic and lyrical forms, and universal themes mirrors Shakespeare’s impact in English literature. The other figures are important in their own right—Vyasa as the legendary compiler of epic narratives, Rabindranath Tagore as a Nobel laureate who transformed modern Indian literature, and T. S. Eliot as a key Western modernist—yet none carry the same cross-cultural parallel as Kalidasa.