Bazaar

Najma is a woman entangled in a cycle of poverty and family pride who sells her future to secure a livelihood. She initially supports Akhtar's plan to marry and profit from his prospects, but grows increasingly aware of the cost of selling happiness. By the end, she confronts the system and chooses to face the consequences, even as she rejects Akhtar's advances. Her arc centers on guilt, responsibility, and a desire for independence.

A renowned poet who loves Najma, Salim confronts the commodification of marriage and insists that true love cannot be bought. He expresses anger at the wedding market and warns Najma about the path she is choosing. His perspective provides the moral counterpoint to the transactions around him, and he ultimately returns to Mumbai, carrying the weight of what he has witnessed.

A young man from a wealthy background who believes marriage to Najma will secure his future. He uses Najma as a means to an end, promising to stand on his own and start a life with her only if money is involved. His actions reveal opportunism reinforced by social pressure and a willingness to exploit Najma's vulnerability.

A young woman forced toward marriage with Shakir Khan, Shabnam represents the tragedy born from families trading daughters for wealth. She resists yet is powerless to change her fate, ultimately choosing death over a life devoid of agency.

Najma's childhood friend who loves Shabnam and fights against the wedding plan. He confronts the family, pleads for mercy, and becomes a symbol of personal honor and the cost of the social system on those who attempt to resist.

A successful man whose wealth enables him to purchase a bride, Shakir Khan embodies the patriarchal power that feeds on vulnerability. He is depicted as abusive and calculating, ultimately the wedding leads to tragedy for Shabnam.

A friend who helps arrange meetings and navigates the social web that binds lovers and families together. Her role underscores the network of women who operate within and around the system, sometimes complicit, sometimes complicitly resisting.

Shabnam's mother is a figure shaped by economic pressures and social expectations. She faces a difficult choice between family honor and the daughter's happiness, illustrating how mothers navigate the system to secure a future for their children.