Lin
The protagonist of the novel, whose true name we never learn. He goes by several aliases but Lin or Linbaba is the name by which he is best known. Lin is an enigma - a violent man of peace, a compassionate criminal, a white "native" of Bombay (at least by the end of the novel). Shantaram takes him on a dramatic arc, from escaped criminal to honored guest in a remote Indian village, from slum doctor to international mafioso. However his status changes, though, some character traits remain constant: Lin consistently shows an enthusiastic appreciation for philosophy, a deep and pure love for his friends, and a propensity to fall in love both romantically and platonically. Lin is a true romantic at odds with society, living on the fringes.
Karla
Karla Saaranen. Beautiful, green-eyed, witty, vivacious woman with a mysterious past. Lin falls hopelessly in love with her.
Prabaker
Prabaker Kharre. Lin's first and best friend in India - his guide through the "real Bombay," and a constant source of humor and good will.
Mr. Anand
The taciturn manager of the India Guest House hotel, where Lin initially stays in Bombay.
Sanjay Deshpande
The owner of Radio Sick, a local store.
Didier
Didier Levy. A constant fixture at Leopold's bar, Didier is a magnificently corrupt modern dandy. Infamous for his infatuations with attractive young men.
Modena
Sebastian Modena. A brooding Spaniard utterly in love with Ulla. He helped rescue her from Madame Zhou's brothel and works as her pimp.
Ulla
Ulla Volkenberg. A beautiful German gold-hearted prostitute.
Ghani
Abdul Ghani. A portly, jolly mafia leader in charge of Khader's passport operation.
Khader
Abdel Khader Khan. The beloved, revered, mythologized head of Bombay's underworld activities. He acts as a second father to Lin and many others.
Bairam
A Bombay criminal who works under Khader.
Ajay
A criminal who works in the hashish trade.
Letitia
Lettie to her friends. An English ex-patriot living in Bombay. The object of Vikram's adoration.
Vikram
Vikram Patel. One of Lin's closest friends. A lover of spaghetti westerns and Letitia.
Vinod
A Bombay policeman who works as a doorman at the slave market.
Federico
One of Didier's previous lovers; no longer sufficiently corrupt.
Kavita
Kavita Singh. A beautiful, successful journalist.
Kishan
Kishan Mango Kharre. Prabaker's comparatively somber father.
Fat Satish
A villager at Sunder village.
Rukhmabai
Rukhmabai Kharre. Prabaker's widely respected (and even heroic) mother.
Raju
Bombay youth who played a heroic role in the battle with the dacoits at Sunder village.
Johnny Cigar
A virtuous, brave slum dweller.
Qasim
Qasim Ali Hussein. The head man of the slum where Lin stays. An authoritative presence and a very wise leader.
Abdullah
Abdullah Taheri. One of Lin's best friends. A mafia killer.
Anand
One of Lin's neighbors in the slum.
Rafiq
Lives with Anand in the slum.
Jeetendra
One of Lin's neighbors in the slum.
Radha
Jeetendra's wife.
Nazeer
Khader's right-hand man. Short, bullish, extremely strong.
Omar
"The best maker of the chillum in all Bombay" (196).
Blind Singers of Nagpur
Magnificent singers of Muslim religious music.
Doctor Hamid
A doctor who aids Lin's slum clinic.
Ranjit
The boss in the slum of the lepers and the leader of the medical black market.
Sunil
A boy who helps Ranjit deliver his medical contraband.
Joseph
A drunken slum dweller who beats his wife.
Maria
Joseph's battered wife.
Kano
A trained dancing bear.
Kano's bear-handlers
Two blue gentlemen who accompany Kano.
Kishore
A slum dweller.
Maurizio
Maurizio Belcane. Modena's friend and partner in crime. Handsome, connected to Karla, and quite dangerous.
Lisa
Lisa Carter. Karla's friend. An employee of Madame Zhou until Lin and Karla arrange for her release.
Madame Zhou
A grotesque brothel owner. Seen by very few, thrives on the mystery.
Ahmed
One of Karla's good friends. Perhaps killed by Madame Zhou.
Christina
Ahmed's beloved and an employee of Madame Zhou. Also killed.
Rajan
Extremely creepy attendant of Madame Zhou.
Sobhan
Sobhan Mahmoud. An elder member of Khader's mafia council.
Khaled
Khaled Ansari. A Palestinian member of Khader's mafia council who comes to be one of Lin's closest friends during their time in Afghanistan.
Keki Dorabjee
A mafia member.
Farid
A particularly trustworthy member of Khader's mafia.
Andrew Ferreira
A Goan mafia member.
Salman
Salman Mustaan. A soft-spoken young gangster who rises to prominence in Khader's mafia.
Sanjay
Sanjay Kumar. A young gangster and a good friend of Salman's.
Ameer
A young slum dweller. Lin helps to stitch up a cut he receives.
Pavarti
One of the daughters of Kumar, the owner of a chai shop. Prabaker falls for her.
Tariq
Khader's young nephew. The mafia boss places him in Lin's custody for a period in order to teach him the English language as well as life in the slum.
Hassaan Obikwa
An important African criminal. Renowned for his expert disposal of bodies.
Raheem
Hassaan Obikwa's right-hand man.
Sita
Pavarti's sister. Johnny Cigar falls for her.
Sandeep Jyoti
An official from the Bombay department of health.
Ischa Saaranen
Karla's father. An artist.
Anna Saaranen
Karla's mother.
Mario Pacelli
One of Karla's uncles. He effectively raises her.
Penelope Pacelli
Karla's aunt, who is jealous of her beautiful niece.
Scorpio George
A Canadian criminal in Bombay.
Gemini George
An English criminal working in Bombay.
Shantu
Prabaker's taxi-driving cousin.
Mahesh
A man whom Lin befriends in Bombay jail.
Big Rahul
A bullying overseer at the Arthur Road Prison.
Dashrant
A restaurant owner in Anjuna.
Krishna
An expert counterfeiter of passport watermarks.
Villu
An expert counterfeiter of passport stamps.
Rinaldo
The man who mentored Didier.
Hussein
A bike mechanic.
Cliff De Souza
A Bollywood producer.
Chandra Mehta
A Bollywood producer.
Blue Sisters
The wife and sister of Rasheed, who revive from a coma after donating kidneys and become objects of religious veneration.
Anand Rao
Kills Rasheed after his mistreatment of the Blue Sisters.
Rasheed
A slum dweller who convinces his sister and wife to donate kidneys and then drinks away the money gained.
Shekky Ratnam
A moneychanger stationed in Singapore.
Gupta-ji
Owner and proprietor of an opium den.
Shilpa
Lin's servant in the opium den.
Ahmed Zadeh
A communist holy warrior in Afghanistan.
Mahmoud
Mahmoud Melbaaf. Iranian warrior in Afghanistan. Comes to be a good friend of Lin's.
Mr. Ian Donald Mackenzie Esquire
Khader's English tutor.
Chota Gulab
"The Little Rose." A Bombay mafia member who first hires Khader.
Habib
Habib Abdur Rahman. Completely insane following the massacre of his village. He kills Russians and their allies with disturbing finesse and cruelty.
Hajji Mohammed
Afghani warlord.
Wolfgang Persis
A scientist. Friend and teacher of Khader.
Claire
Lin's horse.
Suleiman Shahbadi
The senior member in Afghanistan following Khader's death.
Jalalaad
A young warrior in Afghanistan.
Hanif
A friend of Jalalaad's.
Juma
A young warrior who searches for Hanif when he goes missing.
Suresh Patil
A Bombay inspector.
Jeetendra (Sapna)
A young assassin who perpetrated the Sapna killings.
Faisal
Mafia member in the protection racket.
Ameena
Farid's cousin and Abdullah's sweetheart.
Chuha
Ashok Chandrashekar, known as Chuha or "the rat." An unscrupulous new mafia presence.
Santosh
A waitor whom Chuha roughs up for a pittance.
Taj Raj
A pickpocket.
Indra
A poetic Bombay swindler.
Ramesh
Hires Modena after his mutilation.
Arturo
Didier's new Italian infatuation at the novel's close.
Ranjit Choudry
Karla's charismatic new boyfriend at the end of the novel.
Little Tony
Salman's inside-man in Chuha's gang.
Amir
A mafia friend of Salman's.
Idriss
Khader's teacher.
