Pournami

A gifted Kuchipudi dancer tied to a lineage that performs the temple dance to summon rain. She disappears in 1963, later revealed to have been sent away by her father to protect her from the zamindar. Her legacy anchors the sisters’ training and the village’s hope for rain.

A western-style dance instructor who arrives in the family courtyard and becomes a protective figure for the sisters. He reveals that he once married Pournami and is bound by a promise to ensure Chandrakala performs the temple dance. His past and loyalty complicate his relationship with Chandrakala.

A powerful zamindar who seeks to claim Pournami and disrupt the temple ritual. His interference creates danger for the family and tests Kesava’s resolve to safeguard the tradition and the dancers.

Pournami’s younger sister who trains in the same lineage and gradually falls for Kesava. She ultimately becomes the temple dancer who helps renew the village’s rain cycle. Her journey reframes duty as artistic authenticity and devotion.

Pournami and Chandrakala’s father who upholds the family tradition by teaching the dance. He protects his daughters from danger while navigating the pressures of the zamindar and the community.

Kesava’s former fiancée whose presence complicates the lovers’ path and adds tension around the temple dance. Her role embodies the tangled emotions surrounding love and loyalty.

A maternal figure whose memory informs Kesava’s sense of duty and the promises surrounding the ritual. Her influence echoes in the choices that shape the temple’s future.

The stepmother who rents out the family space to Kesava, highlighting the practical pressures families face amid sacred duties and changing times.

A supporting figure in Mallika’s circle whose presence underscores the social complexity of the village as it guards or challenges the dance tradition.

Pournami’s brother who exists within the family’s orbit, reflecting the extended clan around the temple tradition and its enforcement.