Characters In Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda | Learning A Masterpiece | Under Lens

Jamuna: Jamuna is one of the central characters. Her desire to find comfort in embrace of a man defines women at the turn of ages. Inhibited in public but extremely vocal and ready to risk everything for desires. Her courage is not in being righteous but in being happy.  

Tanna: Perhaps the most virtuous of the characters, Tanna evolves as a righteous and honest person. While he aspires to take care of his father, whose behavior has been far less than respectful, he also maintains sanctity of his relation with Jamuna and Lily. He is not a strong character in person but by his actions, he comes out as a character with strongest and infallible character. 

Maheshar Dalal: Maheshar is the most omnipresent character in the story. All events are either triggered by him or he plays an important role in the root cause. He doesn’t allow Tanna-Jamuna’s alliance, arranges Tanna’s marriage to Lily and molests Satti. At many points events are after effect of his action. Like Jamuna’s marriage to old Jamindar and Lily’s dysfunctional relationship with Tanna. As a negative character, he plays his part right. 

Ramdhan: Ramdhan, aptly, represents the working class. He supports the elite in different ways. He fathers Jamuna’s son on behalf of his employer and ensures that elite survives. When his employer dies, he supports his widow in all possible ways. His character is romanticized to bring in dry humor. Beneath that he is a person who wants to flourish in a rather hard world. 

Lily: Lily plays Manek’s companion whom he could not marry. This can be an extension of Manek’s imagination or he is putting himself in someone else’s shoes. Initially reluctant to marry someone other than Manek, Lily realizes how the world works and decides to go ahead with the marriage. After marriage and child, she is not happy with her life. Her father-in-law’s behavior and Tanna, her husband’s timidity could be the reason. However, it seems that her personal ambitions played a larger role.  

Satti: Lower strata of society relies on the rich for their development. By falling in love with Manek, Satti aspired on similar lines. She is fiery but not strong enough to keep Maheshar at bay. Her tragedy somehow represents the tragedy of this nation.

Manek Mulla: The protagonist, Manek is the passive audience in this story to a large extent. At each point, he was in a position to take a small step and ensure three women a better life. However, he chose to walk away. By the end of the story, he is already haunted by his failures. When he faces Satti in the end, he doesn’t walk away. He emerges as the ray of hope in an otherwise grim world. He is the Seventh Horse.