| | | | Book One |
| 1 | Bhima | | Serabai Dubash's domestic helper. |
| | Maya | Phedke | Bhima's granddaughter. |
| | Pooja | | Maya's mother. |
| | Serabai | Dubosh | An upper-middle-class Parsi widow. aka: Sera. |
| | Gopal | | Bhima's husband. |
| | Bibi | | Bhima's friend. |
| | Mohan | | Bhima's neighbor. |
| | Sanjay | Dutt | An Indian actor. |
| | Mohammad | Rafi | An Indian playback singer. |
| 2 | Dinaz | | Sera's daughter. |
| | Viraf | Davar | Dinaz's husband. |
| | Feroz | | Sera's husband. |
| | Mr. | Dalal | Dinaz's acquaintance. |
| | Banu | Dubash | Sera's mother-in-law. |
| 3 | Ashok | Malhotra | Maya's classmate in college. |
| | Suresh | | A college employee. |
| 4 | Mani | | Sera's friend. |
| | Yasmeen | | A Muslim woman. |
| | Meena | Kumari | An Indian actress. |
| | Mehru | Madan | Sera's neighbor. |
| | Praful | | Mrs. Madan's servant. |
| | Edna | | A nurse. |
| | Farokh | Dubash | Sera's father-in-law. aka: Freddy. |
| | Polly | | Freddy's parrot. |
| | Homi J. | Bhabha | An Indian nuclear physicist. |
| 6 | Shyam | | Bhima's neighbor. |
| | Rehka | | Shyam's daughter. |
| | Dr. | Premchand | Maya's doctor. |
| | Sujata | | Bhima's best friend. |
| | Dinu | Shroff | A woman where Bhima worked. |
| | Sushil | | Sujata's husband. |
| | Prithviraj | | Bhima's father. |
| 7 | Rusi | | Dinaz's acquaintance. |
| | W. Amadeus | Mozart | A composer of the Classical period. |
| | Gulab | | A Dubashes' servant. |
| | Amy | Smith | Sera's sixth-standard teacher. |
| | Jehroo | Sethna | Sera's mother. |
| | Aban | Driver | Sera's best friend. |
| | Dastor | Homjee | Banu's acquaintance. |
| | Gulnaz | | Feroz's ex-girlfriend. |
| | Zubin | Mehta | An Indian conductor of Western classical music. |
| 8 | Amit | | Bhima's son. |
| | Raju | | Bhima's son-in-law. |
| | Rajeev | | Bhima's acquaintance. |
| | Parvati | | A woman vendor. |
| | Pathan | | A balloon vendor. |
| 10 | Dr. | Mehta | Maya's doctor. |
| | Dr. | Porus | Sera's family doctor. |
| | | | Book Two |
| 12 | Kali | | The Hindu goddess of death and destruction. |
| | Lord Krishna | | The Hindu god of compassion, protection, and love. |
| 13 | Hyder | | Bhima's rescuer. |
| | Nanavatisahib | | Raju's boss. |
| | Indira | Gandhi | Former Prime Minister of India. |
| | Seema | | Bhima's neighbor. |
| 14 | Pervez | Driver | Aban's husband. |
| | Toxy | | One of Aban and Pervez's children. |
| | Meena | Gupta | One of Aban and Pervez's guests. |
| | Meena | Patel | One of Aban and Pervez's guests. |
| | Pervez | Musharraf | A Pakistan army general and politician. |
| | Darius | | Toxy's fiancé. |
| | Jaya | | Aban's midservant. |
| | Bal | Thackeray | An Indian politician who founded the Shiv Sena. |
| 15 | Jehangir | Sethna | Sera's father. |
| | Freny | | Sethna's neighbor. |
| | Jamshed | | Freny's husband. |
| | Franz | Gutmann | A German artist. |
| | Divan | Shah | One of Freddy's clients. |
| 16 | Bara | | Gopal's acquaintance. |
| | Murti | | Bhima's acquaintance. |
| | Dr. | Kapur | Gopal's doctor. |
| 17 | Devdas | | A bookkeeper at Godav Industries. |
| | Pandav | | Bhima's acquaintance. |
| | Deshpande | | Gopal's new boss. |
| | Rajesh | Khanna | An Indian actor. |
| | Munnu | | The landlord's son. |
| 18 | Dr. | Roy | Gopal's doctor. |
| 19 | Jaiprakash | | Gopal's acquaintance. |
| 20 | Pestonji | Pipyadas | Viraf's acquaintance. |
| 22 | Gita | | Banu's night nurse. |
| 24 | Mrs. | Motorcyclewalla | Bhima's new employer. |
