Saleem Sinai make Saleem fall in love with her and, as a result,

The narrator and protagonist of the novel. Son of embarks on an affair with Shiva that results in a child.
Ahmed and Mumtaz Sinai Born at the moment of In the Hindu religion, Parvati is the consort of Shiva.
India’s independence and blessed with the powers of
telepathy and an uncanny sense of smell, Saleem tells Padma
his extraordinary life story as his body begins to Saleem’s devoted caretaker and future wife. Padma is
crumble. as strong and down-to-earth as Saleem is weak and
Aadam Aziz dreamy. She provides Saleem with a skeptical yet
Saleem’s grandfather. Aadam is the patriarch of the patient audience.
family, a doctor and skeptic whose loss of faith leaves
what he refers to as a “hole” inside of him. Aadam Naseem Ghani
falls in love with his wife, Naseem, after only being Saleem’s grandmother, and Aadam Aziz’s wife. After
allowed to see her through a hole in a perforated sheet. marriage, Naseem becomes known as Reverend
Mother, in part because of her religious devotion. As
Ahmed Sinai her husband withers away with age, Reverend Mother
Saleem’s father. A shrewd businessman who is grows increasingly large and powerful.
nonetheless destined for failure, Ahmed spends much
of his marriage fighting his wife and his alcohol William Methwold
addiction.  Saleem’s biological father. An Englishman, William
Methwold seduces women with his perfectly parted
Mumtaz (Amina Sinai) hair, which is actually a wig. He owns Methwold’s
Saleem’s mother, and the daughter of Aadam Aziz. Estate, a portion of which he sells to Ahmed Sinai. He
Born Mumtaz, she changes her name to Amina after sees his departure from India as marking the tragic end
her marriage to Ahmed. A loving, devoted mother, she of an era.
inherits her father’s skepticism and her mother’s
determination. Despite being married to Ahmed, she is Alia
never able to forget her first husband, Nadir Khan. Saleem’s aunt, and a sister of Amina. After Ahmed
Sinai rejects her for her sister, Alia harbors a lifelong
Mary Pereira bitterness and determination to destroy her sister and
Saleem’s ayah and surrogate mother. Mary is her sister’s family.
responsible for switching Saleem and Shiva at birth out
of a misguided sense of social justice. In order to Hanif
compensate for her crime, she dedicates her life to Saleem’s uncle, and a brother of Amina. Hanif was
raising Saleem. once one of the most promising film directors in India.
However, his dream to create art free from melodrama
Shiva and superstition fails, and, as his career falls apart, he
Saleem’s archrival. Shiva is born at exactly the same commits suicide.
moment as Saleem. While Saleem is raised in a loving,
wealthy household, Shiva is raised in abject poverty by Nadir Khan
a single father. He is blessed with a pair of Amina’s first husband. As a young man, Nadir Khan is
preternaturally strong knees and an amazing prowess the personal assistant to Mian Abdullah, as well as a
in war. Shiva is named after the Hindu god of bad poet. He falls in love with Amina but is forced to
destruction, who is also the god associated with divorce her on account of his impotence. He later
procreation. changes his name to Qasim Khan and becomes a
communist.
Parvati-the-witch
A real witch, and, like Saleem, one of the children born Mustapha
at the moment of India’s independence. Parvati is Saleem’s uncle, and a brother of Amina. Mustapha is
Saleem’s closest ally as a child and later becomes his the ideal, obedient civil servant. He is so passive, he’s
wife. Despite her fantastic powers, she is unable to nearly inconsequential—a fate he takes out on his
children by constantly beating them until they have no One of the children living on Methwold’s Estate.
personality left. Sonny is Saleem’s best friend. He is also in love with
Saleem’s sister, the Brass Monkey.
Emerald
Saleem’s aunt, and a sister of Amina. Emerald marries Joseph D’Costa
Major Zulfikar and enjoys an opulently comfortable A social radical who later becomes a ghost. Joseph
lifestyle. Selfish and self-absorbed, she only D’Costa’s political beliefs inspire Mary’s decision to
reluctantly comes to her sister’s aid. switch Shiva and Saleem, and his ghost later compels
her to confess her crime.
General Zulfikar
Emerald’s husband, and an important figure in the Commander Sabarmati
Pakistani army. General Zulfikar helps orchestrate a A high-ranking official in the Indian navy. After
coup against the Pakistani government and makes learning that his wife, Lila, has had an affair,
money by smuggling items into the country. His Commander Sabarmati shoots her, kills her lover, and
constant abuse of his son, Zafar, eventually provokes then surrenders. He temporarily becomes a national
Zafar into killing him. hero.

Zafar Homi Catrack

The son of General Zulfikar and Emerald. Zafar wets A film magnate, and resident of Methwold’s Estate.
himself throughout his life and is ridiculed and abused Homi Catrack has an affair with Lila, the wife of
by his father as a result. Commander Sabarmati, and is subsequently murdered
by the commander.
Aadam Sinai
The biological son of Shiva and Parvati-the-witch. Lila Sabarmati
Saleem raises Aadam as if he were his own child. The wife of Commander Sabarmati. Lila’s husband
Aadam is just three years old at the novel’s conclusion. shoots her in the stomach for having an affair.

Picture Singh Doctor Narlikar

A snake charmer, and the leader of the magician’s A doctor, and Ahmed’s business partner. Dr. Narlikar
ghetto. Charming and diplomatic, Picture Singh is devises a scheme for reclaiming land from the ocean
Saleem’s closest friend. He is undone by his desire to but dies before he can implement it.
prove himself the world’s greatest snake harmer.
Alice Pereira
Wee Willie Winkie Mary’s sister. Alice eventually works for Ahmed Sinai
Shiva’s father. Wee Willie Winkie is a poor man who and is responsible for Mary’s chutney factory.
earns a living by singing for the wealthy families of
Methwold’s Estate. Farooq, Shaheed, and Ayooba
Three soldiers assigned to work with Saleem in the
Vanita Pakistani army. Each one is eventually killed during
Saleem’s biological mother. Vanita dies during labor. the war.

Evie Lilith Burns Narlikar Women

A violent, tough American girl. Evie is briefly the An unnamed, unnumbered group of “grossly
leader of the children living on Methwold’s Estate, and competent” women who take over Dr. Narlikar’s
she is Saleem’s first love. affairs after his death.

Sonny Ibrahim Mian Abdullah

A political figure before independence. Mian Abdullah
is the founder of the Free Islam Convocation, an
organization dedicated to resisting the partition of
India along religious lines.

Ghani
Naseem’s father. Ghani is a blind, wealthy landowner.

Tai
An old boatman from Kashmir. Tai is a mysterious,
ancient, and wise figure who remains resentful of the
world’s encroachment into his territory until his death.

Ramram Seth
A prophet who predicts Saleem’s future while Amina
is pregnant.