Ajay is a young Dalit man from rural Uttar Pradesh who works as a chauffeur and bodyguard for the wealthy Wadia family. Growing up in extreme poverty, he witnesses severe violence against his family before being sold into domestic labor as a child. He eventually travels to Delhi and gains employment with Sunny Wadia, acting with complete deference in hopes of securing a stable life. His suppressed trauma slowly surfaces as he is pulled deeper into the criminal underworld.

Sunny is the charismatic heir to one of New Delhi's wealthiest families. He wants to use his family's money to build modern urban projects, presenting himself as a visionary while ignoring the corruption funding his lifestyle. He lives in absolute luxury in a penthouse apartment and struggles constantly under his father's expectation that he become a ruthless criminal leader. He relies heavily on charm and substances to avoid facing the reality of his position.

Neda is a twenty-two-year-old journalist at the Delhi Post who comes from a family of educated professionals. She investigates cases about real estate developers pushing the poor out of their homes for corporate gain. While she recognizes the injustice in her city, she feels intensely drawn to the power and freedom that Sunny's extreme wealth provides. She tries unsuccessfully to keep her romantic life separate from her investigative work.

Bunty is a powerful liquor baron who has built a massive business empire in Uttar Pradesh. He uses his immense wealth to bribe local politicians and monopolize regional transport routes. His legal businesses serve as a front for violent land grabs and systemic extortion. He demands absolute submission from his son Sunny and quickly crushes any perceived weaknesses.

Vicky is Bunty's brother who operates sugar mills and illegal businesses in Eastern Uttar Pradesh. He is a massive, physically intimidating man who dresses in black and poses as a godman to exploit local superstitions. He holds a dark, violent influence over his nephew Sunny and uses his regional network to manipulate everyone from local politicians to low-level hitmen.

Sunil is a career criminal who falls into illegal activities after his brother is severely injured and corrupt neighbors steal his family's land. He is a scarred, hardened survivor who shifts easily between petty gangs and large criminal syndicates. He eventually falls under the complete influence of Vicky Wadia, viewing himself as an instrument of a darker fate.

Gautam is the dissolute son of a royal family that transitioned smoothly into regional politics. Educated at Oxford, he spends his time in India indulging in extreme luxury and substance abuse. He acts with cruel disregard for the working class, relying entirely on his family's money and political connections to shield him from the consequences of his actions.

Dean is the principled editor at the Delhi Post who focuses on exposing the link between extreme wealth and poverty in the city. He assigns Neda to cover the Yamuna slum demolitions and immediately suspects the Wadia family's involvement in urban beautification schemes. He maintains a strong moral compass in a highly corrupt media environment.

Eli is an ex-Israel Defense Forces officer of Indian Jewish descent who works for the Wadia family. He provides specialized security training to the household staff and serves as Sunny's personal driver and bodyguard. He maintains a quiet, observational distance from the excessive partying happening around him.

Dinesh is the educated, outwardly progressive politician son of the Chief Minister. He presents himself to the media as a clean alternative to his father's old-fashioned corruption and actively aligns himself with protesting farmers. He quietly networks with Sunny Wadia, attempting to consolidate power away from the older generation of leaders.

Ram Singh is the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. He maintains his political power through a lucrative, corrupt partnership with the Wadia family. He passes favorable legislation and grants business permits in exchange for bribes and brutal criminal enforcement of his policies.

Hema is Ajay's older sister who helps care for him during their extremely poor childhood. She survives a brutal assault by the local moneylender's men, an event that shatters her family and leaves a lasting psychological impact on her brother. Her safety and whereabouts remain a constant source of anxiety for Ajay as he grows up.

Hari is Ajay's father who works as a manual scavenger in Eastern UP. He belongs to a heavily marginalized Dalit community and is forbidden from using basic village amenities. His brutal punishment by local landlords for a minor infraction sets off the tragic chain of events that breaks his family apart.

Rupa is Ajay's mother who faces impossible choices after her husband is severely beaten by landlords. Crushed by massive debt, she sells her young son to a labor contractor to secure cash. She later converts to Christianity, takes the name Mary, and completely alienates Ajay when he eventually tracks her down.

Kuldeep is a wealthy village headman who strictly enforces caste boundaries in rural UP. He brutalizes Hari over a minor infraction, demonstrating the absolute impunity with which he operates. He later leverages his wealth to become an elected member of the state legislative assembly.

Rajdeep is the ruthless moneylender brother of Kuldeep. He uses predatory loans to trap marginalized villagers in inescapable debt. When Ajay's family cannot pay, he orders his men to exact a terrible price, permanently destroying their lives.

"Daddy" is the patriarch of a family in Manali who buys Ajay into domestic servitude. He insists the young boy call him by a familial title while forcing him to perform exhausting chores around the house and farm. He manipulates Ajay into staying by threatening to replace him and cut him off completely.

"Mummy" is the matriarch of the household where Ajay spends his youth working. She presents a false image of maternal care while actively participating in his exploitation. She relies on his constant labor to maintain her comfortable lifestyle in the Himalayan tourist town.

Sikander is a tall, menacing inmate in Tihar Jail serving time for murdering his wife. He operates freely within the prison hierarchy, moving drugs and extorting vulnerable inmates. He subjects younger prisoners to extreme psychological and physical abuse to maintain his dominance.

Prem is a vulnerable young inmate in Tihar Jail who suffers severe emotional and physical abuse. He is forced into degrading acts for protection but tries to find small moments of genuine connection behind bars. He eventually forms a protective bond with Ajay.

Karan is a new inmate at Tihar Jail associated with the rival Sisodia criminal gang. He develops genuine feelings for Prem and tries to bid for his freedom from Sikander's control, unknowingly placing a target on his own back.

Chandra is a suave, older associate of Bunty Wadia. He acts as a fixer for the wealthy, smoothly orchestrating cover-ups, managing alibis, and forcing witnesses into silence. He operates entirely in the shadows to protect the Wadia family's interests.

Tinu is the efficient household manager for the massive Wadia estate in New Delhi. He coordinates the dozens of staff members, oversees security logistics, and ensures the family's daily operations run without interruption.

Farah is a wealthy heiress from Punjab whose family holds significant political and religious influence. Bunty Wadia arranges her marriage to Sunny in order to secure a powerful business and political alliance. She is thoroughly accustomed to a life of excess and readily participates in high-society party culture.

Prasad is Gautam's father, an old-wealth royal from Madhya Pradesh who successfully transitioned into modern politics. He routinely uses his political clout to hush up local mobs and cover for his son's destructive behavior.

Manoj is a farmer from Machya village whose family sold their land to Wadia real estate projects. The resulting sudden wealth destroyed his family structure, sending his brother to jail and pushing Manoj to partner with hardened criminals to seek revenge.

Sonu is Manoj's brother who goes to prison after violently lashing out over a ruined luxury car. While incarcerated, he meets Sunil Rastogi and devises a plan to extort the real estate developers who bought his village's land.

Sukanya is a local Superintendent of Police who attempts to use petty criminals to gather intelligence on dangerous, organized gangs. She relies on off-the-books informants to pad her arrest records.

Ragini is an eighteen-year-old landless laborer who recently arrived in Delhi seeking work after her slum was demolished. She is forced to sleep on the open street and is killed when a speeding Mercedes crashes into the curb.

Rajesh is a young unhoused laborer trying to find a job in the city. Lacking shelter, he sleeps on the street and loses his life when a luxury vehicle jumps the curb.

Sarah is Ajay's thirteen-year-old younger sister, born after he was sold into domestic servitude. She grows up entirely disconnected from him.

Alex is Neda's boyfriend during her time studying abroad in London. He provides her with a sense of stability but occasionally questions her heavy reliance on alcohol to cope with her past.