Dosti

Ramu is the son of a factory worker who dies, leaving his family broken. He is crippled after an accident and ends up penniless on the streets of Mumbai. He discovers his talent for the harmonica and, with Mohan, uses street performances to earn a living while pursuing education and truth in friendships.

Mohan is a blind boy who shares Ramu's harsh background. He sings on the streets to survive and forms a close bond with Ramu. He sacrifices his own health and comfort to raise money for Ramu's tuition, and his unwavering friendship sustains them both.

Manjula is the sister of Ashok and suffers from rheumatic heart disease. Her illness and presence set off emotional currents—she becomes a focal point for the boys' hopes and for a budding romance with Ashok—and her death marks a turning point in the story.

Ashok is a wealthy young man, Manjula's brother, who becomes emotionally involved with Meena. He embodies the tension between affluence and compassion, offering sympathy and support to Meena while navigating family duty and romantic feelings.

Meena is Mohan's sister who leaves her village for Mumbai to work as a nurse to finance her brother's treatment. She cares for Manjula and Meena's relationship with Ashok adds a layer of social complexity, with a sense of duty to family balanced against personal love.

Mausi runs a small home and treats Ramu and Mohan as her own sons. She, along with her teenage daughter and son, provides warmth, shelter, and a sense of family in the slums.

Ramu's mother, whose collapse after her husband's death embodies the fragility of families facing industrial hardship. Her pain and vulnerability reflect the costs of poverty and tragedy on a mother's heart.

A respected teacher who becomes a guardian figure for Ramu. He notices the neighborhood's dangers and offers support, even as circumstances pull him toward a deeper guardianship later in the story.

The head of the school who, along with the School Teacher, looks after Ramu and supports his education context, helping him navigate the early hardships of joining school life.

A supportive figure at the school who aids Ramu's adjustment and learning, contributing to a sense of belonging within the educational environment.

Moolchand serves as a worker in Ashok's household, representing the everyday staff who keep a wealthy household functioning and who witness the interactions between class and family.