Karim is a 17-year-old of mixed English and Indian heritage. Searching for identity and belonging, he feels alienated at school and stifled by suburban life. He is sexually adventurous and highly observant, often acting as a voyeur in the lives of his friends and family. Driven by a desire for intense experiences, he eventually pursues acting as a way to escape his mundane surroundings.

Haroon is Karim's father, who grew up in a wealthy, privileged Muslim family in Bombay before moving to England. Disappointed by his mundane life as a civil servant, he studies Eastern philosophy and reinvents himself as a spiritual guide for suburban Londoners. He possesses genuine philosophical insight but completely lacks practical survival skills.

Margaret is Karim's English mother, a timid and hardworking woman who exhausts herself paying for her younger son's private school tuition. She feels overwhelmed by her husband's philosophical interests and focuses entirely on maintaining the household. She insists on treating Karim simply as an Englishman, ignoring his Indian heritage.

Eva is a dynamic, ambitious family friend who longs to escape the South London suburbs for the exciting world of art and theater. She organizes Haroon's philosophical talks and uses her charm, connections, and streetwise nature to build a new life in central London. She is deeply supportive of those she favors but can be dismissive of others.

Jamila is the daughter of Anwar and Jeeta, and Karim's lifelong friend. Influenced early by feminist and Marxist philosophy, she is fiercely independent, politically active, and determined to live life on her own terms. Despite being coerced into an arranged marriage, she refuses to let the situation compromise her personal freedom.

Anwar is Haroon's childhood friend from Bombay who came to England to study engineering but ended up running a grocery store. He is a proud, traditional man who believes in his absolute authority over his family. His desperate insistence on maintaining control over his daughter's life causes permanent fractures within his household.

Born Charlie Kay, Charlie is Eva's beautiful, rebellious son who constantly reinvents himself to chase fame. He transforms into a punk rock musician, capitalizing on the latest trends despite a lack of original musical talent. He desires to be viewed as an artistic genius but frequently struggles with self-destructive tendencies and the pressures of celebrity.

Changez is an Indian man chosen by Anwar to marry Jamila. With a withered arm and a complete aversion to manual labor, he is a major disappointment to Anwar. Despite his laziness, he is friendly, innocent, and genuinely desires a happy life with Jamila, eventually adapting surprisingly well to communal living.

Jeeta is an Indian princess by birth who works diligently in the South London grocery store she owns with her husband. She deeply resents Anwar for forcing their daughter into an arranged marriage. Eventually, she withdraws her affection entirely and modernizes the shop on her own terms when his health declines.

Uncle Ted is Margaret's brother-in-law, a formerly successful heating business owner who became a social outcast following his wife's affair. Initially miserable and alcoholic, he experiences a personal awakening after receiving philosophical guidance from Haroon, prompting him to abandon his failing business and live more freely.

Aunt Jean is Margaret's sister. She and her husband Ted are outcasts due to an affair she had years earlier. She is bitter, frequently intoxicated, and deeply embarrassed by Haroon's transition into a spiritual guru, strongly opposing anything outside of conventional English middle-class norms.

Eleanor is a fellow actor in Karim's second major play. She comes from a wealthy, upper-class background with a famous painter mother and a banker father. She introduces Karim to a world of education and privilege he has never known, though she harbors deep emotional damage from a past relationship.

Matthew Pyke is a famous, wealthy alternative theater director who casts Karim in a new production. He portrays himself as a political radical but enjoys immense privilege. He is highly manipulative, frequently treating his actors as pawns for his own sexual and psychological amusement.

Shadwell is a theater director who gives Karim his first acting role as Mowgli in *The Jungle Book*. He forces Karim to wear brown makeup, a loincloth, and use a stereotypical Indian accent, completely disregarding Karim's actual cultural background and English upbringing.

Allie is Karim's younger brother. As he grows up, he becomes a successful, expensively dressed employee of a clothing designer. He adopts conservative political views, frequently complaining about left-wing politics and fiercely criticizing his father for abandoning their mother.

Terry is a Welsh actor who befriends Karim during his first theatrical production. He is a staunch Marxist and socialist who romanticizes the working-class struggle. He frequently pressures Karim to consider politics and class dynamics, though his inflexible views eventually show their limitations.

Helen is a teenage girl who becomes involved with Karim early in the story. She is drawn to Karim despite his infatuation with Charlie, but their relationship is cut short when her racist father violently chases Karim away from their home.

Marlene is Matthew Pyke's wife. She and her husband deliberately collect sexual experiences from a wide variety of people, demonstrating their immense privilege and moral disconnect.