Heat and Dust

A stylish, free-spirited Englishwoman who arrives in India and gradually rejects genteel Anglo-Indian conventions. Her burgeoning affair with the Nawab tests loyalty, tradition, and her own sense of freedom. Her letters and diary drive the mystery that Anne seeks to solve.

An Englishwoman in 1982 who travels to India to uncover Olivia's fate. Curious, determined, and emotionally cautious, she mirrors Olivia's longing for something beyond propriety while confronting her own desires.

A charismatic yet ruthless prince whose courtly elegance masks political ruthlessness. His illicit bond with Olivia embodies a clash between Indian pomp and colonial power, with a chilling appetite for control.

Olivia's husband, a civil servant who wants continuity and a son, embodying the conventional British colonial mindset. He remains largely unaware of Olivia's infidelity until the affair's consequences emerge.

A British official who embodies the official power structure of the Raj. His presence marks the political stakes at the heart of Anglo-Indian society and its tensions with local authority.

The local doctor whose hostility to Olivia reveals the era's racial prejudices within the colonial medical establishment. His attitude underscores the social hazards Olivia faces.

The Burra Memsahib, a kindly but conservative figure who embodies the white settler aristocracy and its reluctance to change. She offers a window into the small, insular social world of Anglo-Indian life.

The Nawab's formidable mother, a matriarch who exerts influence within the palace. She embodies a blend of tradition, power, and sharp social intelligence.

A polite Indian civil servant who serves as Anne's guide. He navigates competing loyalties, family obligations, and an emerging attraction to Anne while trying to maintain propriety.

Inder Lal's young wife, epileptic and loyal to family. Her presence adds tension to Inder's infatuation with Anne and highlights the complexities of love and duty.

An American charlatan posing as a sanyasi who tries to seduce Anne with farcical mysticism before she rebuffs him. His antics underscore the allure and danger of exotic illusion.

A witty, well-connected friend to the Nawab who moves within both the palace and colonial circles. His closeness to Olivia and the Nawab places him at the center of the intrigue and memory that spans generations.

The morbid wife of the local doctor, a sharp-welt observer who shares warnings and social anxieties within the Anglo-Indian community. She embodies the hidden tensions of a society that prizes appearances.

The matriarch in Inder Lal's household who anchors family life amidst social change. Her presence sharpens the contrast between old-world respect and personal desires.