'Sartaj Singh: a Sikh police inspector in Mumbai.
Katekar: a police constable who works with Sartaj Singh. Shalini, Katekar's wife
Mohit and Rohit are their sons.
Mrs Kamala Pandey: a married woman and airline hostess with a lover, an airline pilot named Umesh.
Kamble: an ambitious police sub-inspector who works with Sartaj Singh.
Parulkar: a deputy commissioner of police in Mumbai.
Ganesh Gaitonde: a notorious Hindu gangster and don, leader of the G-Company in Mumbai.
Suleiman Isa: a much-feared Muslim gangster and don, leader of a rival gang in Mumbai.
Paritosh Shah: a supremely gifted money handler for gangsters, including Ganesh Gaitonde.
Kanta Bai: a businesswoman who deals with Paritosh Shah and Ganesh Gaitonde'.
'Badriya: Paritosh Shah's bodyguard.
Anjali Mathur: a government intelligence agent investigating Ganesh Gaitonde's death.
Chotta Badriya: Ganesh Gaitonde's bodyguard, and the younger brother of Badriya.
Juliet (Jojo) Mascarenas: a television producer/agent for aspiring actors and models…and a high class Madam.
Mary Mascarenas: Jojo's sister who works as a hairdresser.
Wasim Zafar Ali Ahmad: a social worker in a poor neighborhood in Mumbai who has political aspirations.
Prabhjot Kaur, 'Nikki': Sartaj Singh's mother, originally from the Punjab Navneet, her beloved oldest sister.
Ram Pari: the maidservant of Nikki's mother in the Punjab.
Bunty: Ganesh Gaitonde's right hand man and organizer.
Bipin Bhonsle: a Hindu fundamentalist politician whom Ganesh Gaitonde helps get elected to public office.