Bhima is a 65-year-old Hindu domestic worker living in a Bombay slum. Left by her husband and having lost her daughter to illness, she dedicates her life to working for the wealthy Dubash household to support her granddaughter, Maya. Uneducated herself, Bhima fiercely values formal schooling as a means of survival and pins her hopes for a better life entirely on Maya's academic success.

Sera is a wealthy, educated, middle-aged Parsi woman who employs Bhima. Raised in a gentle and cultured environment, she spent years hiding the physical and emotional abuse inflicted by her late husband. She takes pride in treating Bhima better than her peers treat their domestic workers, though she strictly enforces boundaries regarding household furniture and drinking utensils.

Maya is Bhima's 17-year-old granddaughter. Orphaned at age seven, she was raised by Bhima and sent to college through Sera Dubash's financial support. Her recent, unplanned pregnancy causes her to drop out of school, leaving her sullen, withdrawn, and resentful of the societal shame placed upon her.

Dinaz is Sera's only daughter, currently pregnant and living with her mother. She possesses a strong sense of justice and frequently calls out the class-based double standards in how her mother treats Bhima. She represents a younger, more egalitarian generation of the wealthy Parsi community.

Viraf is Dinaz's husband and Sera's son-in-law. He lives in the Dubash household and manages the accounts for Banu. He frequently expresses irritation regarding Bhima's personal troubles and heavily advocates for Maya to seek a medical procedure regarding her pregnancy.

Gopal is Bhima's estranged husband. Initially a charming and devoted factory worker, a severe workplace injury and subsequent exploitation by his company drove him to alcoholism and despair. Feeling emasculated by his inability to work, he ultimately abandoned his family.

Feroz is Sera's deceased husband. While capable of using his wealthy Parsi status to demand respect from others, he harbored a volatile temper inherited from his mother and routinely abused Sera behind closed doors.

Banu is Feroz's mother and Sera's mother-in-law. A traditional and cruel woman, she made Sera's early married life miserable with her superstitious rules and harsh accusations. She is now paralyzed and requires constant care.

Freddy is Sera's late father-in-law. A cultured lover of classical music, he showed Sera genuine kindness and attempted to protect her from his wife's and son's tempers, even buying a separate apartment for the young couple.

Pooja is Bhima and Gopal's late daughter, and Maya's mother. She moved to Delhi after marrying Raju but contracted a fatal illness, leaving her young daughter to be raised by Bhima.

Raju is Pooja's late husband and Maya's father. A truck driver who found lucrative work in Delhi, his lifestyle choices ultimately brought disease into his marriage, resulting in early death for both him and his wife.

Amit is Bhima and Gopal's son. He was a young boy suffering from a fever when his father decided to leave the slums of Bombay, taking Amit with him and never contacting Bhima again.

Jehroo is Sera's mother. Raised in a gentle household, she lacks the framework to understand her daughter's marital suffering, assuming Sera's unhappiness stems merely from living with difficult in-laws.

Aban is an old friend of Sera's from the Parsi community. She hosts parties where she and her peers frequently complain about their domestic workers, holding attitudes that contrast with Sera's slightly more progressive approach.

Ashok is a college classmate of Maya's. A religious young man who values purity before marriage, he reacts with genuine outrage when falsely named in connection with Maya's circumstances.

Devdas is an accountant at the factory where Gopal worked. He exploits Bhima's inability to read, tricking her into signing away Gopal's rights to fair medical compensation after a severe workplace accident.

The Afghan balloon seller is a melancholic figure from Bhima's past who sold toys at the Bombay seaside. Far from his war-torn homeland, he serves as a source of wisdom and a symbol of dignified survival for Bhima during her darkest moments.

Hyder is a young Muslim man who helps Bhima when she nearly collapses upon learning of her daughter's fatal diagnosis. He kindly explains the medical situation to her and keeps her company at the hospital.