Lajja/Characters

Vaidehi
 * Baby Factory: Is seen and treated like this by her wealthy husband and father-in-law.
 * Bathroom Break Out: Escapes through a bathroom window when she finds out Raghu wants to kill her after the baby is born.
 * Domestic Abuse: Suffers this at the hand of Raghu
 * Hot Mom
 * It's the Journey That Counts
 * Morning Sickness: Since she is two months' pregnant
 * Naive Everygirl: Has some shades of this, mostly because she hasn't experienced the full extent of Honor-Related Abuse that women in her native country have. She learns quickly, though!
 * The Protagonist
 * Pinball Protagonist
 * World of Cardboard Speech
 * You Can't Go Home Again: Is told this by her father when she tries to escape Raghu's abuse and philandering.

Maithili
 * Christmas Cake: Because of the scandal at the wedding, and her rejection of her fiance's wealthy family, she almost became one, and would have had to commit suicide to save face.
 * Daddy's Girl
 * Honor-Related Abuse: She is questioned and called bad names because Raju hid out in her room (nothing actually happened, though.)
 * Mistaken for Cheating
 * Naive Everygirl
 * Pair the Spares:
 * Second Love: Was about to marry her wealthy (but wimpy) college sweetheart, but after she rejects him,  steps in.
 * Spoiled Sweet
 * "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Calls her fiance's family out for greed, and for milking her father for dowry money.

Janki
 * Bottle Fairy: Drinks to ease her stage fright, despite being 2 months pregnant
 * Character Filibuster: All the main characters get one, but Janki is the most vociferous
 * Cloudcuckoolander
 * Curb Stomp Battle:
 * Does Not Like Men: After being treated so badly by them.
 * Honor-Related Abuse
 * Hot Mom
 * Hysterical Woman: Is written off as this...and worse.
 * Large Ham: Well, she does work in theatre.
 * Love Triangle: Is in a relationship with her costar Manish, but her theatre instructor/director Puroshottham wants her to be his mistress instead.
 * Pregnant Badass
 * Madhuri Dixit
 * Mistaken for Cheating
 * My Girl Is Not a Slut: Why Manish wants to leave her; he believes Puroshottham's lies.
 * Rebellious Spirit
 * Rich Suitor, Poor Suitor: See Love Triangle
 * Stepford Smiler
 * Shotgun Wedding: Is supposed to have one of these with Manish, her boyfriend, and her baby's father.
 * Take a Third Option: Her stunt does not go over well with the public, mainly because it was done during a religious play. She is given the option of going to Prison or a Bedlam House...and Puroshottham offers his protection in exchange for being his mistress.
 * What the Hell, Hero?: Gives one to Manish for his cowardice and naivety, and to men in general during a play about Sita. Overlaps with a combination of "The Reason You Suck" Speech and a World of Cardboard Speech

Ramdulaari
 * Badass
 * Bollywood Nerd: Is learning from her son how to use a computer, and is teaching the people of her village computer literacy as well.
 * Character Filibuster: Not quite as many as Janki has, but close.
 * Determined Widow
 * Gratuitous English
 * Honor-Related Abuse:
 * Hot Mom
 * I Have a Family: Pleads with the men who turned against her. A new twist: These men are her family, or at least True Companions.
 * The Medic: Works as a midwife
 * Rape as Drama
 * The Smart Guy: Is self-taught in many skills, and educates the women in the belief that one day things will be better for them if they have education.
 * What the Hell, Hero?: Calls out the father of a newborn baby girl after he tried to drown her in a vat of milk.
 * World of Cardboard Speech: Against female infanticide, and maltreatment of women/girls in general.

Raju
 * Anil Kapoor
 * Badass
 * Cloudcuckoolander
 * Good Samaritan
 * Happily Married: By the end, he marries
 * Lovable Rogue: he is a thief, basically.
 * Nice Guy
 * Running Gag: His sedative-laced biscuits

Raghu
 * Angrish: Tends to grumble and spout off in a mix of both English and Hindi
 * Domestic Abuse: Beats and berates Vaidehi
 * Drives Like Crazy
 * Face Heel Turn: Eventually sees what a Jerkass he's been and mends his ways.
 * Gratuitous English
 * Happily Married: By the end, he has improved his behavior and his marriage, and has (presumably) broken off his illicit relationship.
 * The Loins Sleep Tonight:
 * Rich Bastard
 * Screw the Rules, I Have Connections
 * Your Cheating Heart: Is sleeping with Anita, the wife of a business associate, and sees nothing wrong with this
 * What the Hell, Hero?: Called out for cheating by Vaidehi

Bulwa
 * Badass: Sort of a Robin Hood figure
 * Berserk Button: Don't you dare hurt or abuse women or girls around him!
 * Expy: A Darker and Edgier version of Raju
 * Good Samaritan
 * It's Personal:
 * Just Like Robin Hood: he's a dacoit (bandit) who fights for the poor and oppressed in general and women in particular.
 * Nice Guy
 * Rape and Revenge: Avenges Ramdulaari
 * "The Reason You Suck" Speech
 * Whip Sword: his weapon of choice

Gajendra
 * Bash Brothers: Works alongside his younger brother Virendra
 * Big Bad
 * Honor Before Reason
 * I Have No Son: Disowns Sushma
 * Overprotective Dad: Well, by modern Western standards, anyway...
 * Screw the Rules, I Have Connections: Lampshaded
 * Screw the Rules, I Make Them
 * Sleazy Politician
 * Sleazy Politician
 * Sleazy Politician

Puroshottam
 * All Women Are Lustful: Believes this
 * Casting Couch: Is implied to put at least some of his female theatre-company-members (possibly including Janki) through this, or at least try.
 * Cloudcuckoolander
 * Crazy Jealous Guy: Keeps Lata confined to the house for fear that she'll be unfaithful (or people will think she is).
 * Dirty Old Man
 * Domestic Abuse
 * Double Standard: He can go out to his heart's content, but if his wife so much as looks out the window there will be hell to pay.
 * May-December Romance: Lata is much younger than he is.
 * Rich Suitor, Poor Suitor: Tries to win Janki's affection with money.
 * Screw the Rules, I Have Money
 * Take a Third Option: Offers Janki protection if she agrees to become his mistress.
 * Wife Husbandry: Seems to think that because he took Janki in and raised her, that he is entitled to sex with her. Janki does not agree.
 * Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Tells Manish that Janki's child belongs to him (Puroshottam), that she has been cheating on him.

Lata
 * Domestic Abuse: Is kept confined to the house by her jealous husband.
 * Hikikomori: Though not of her own choice; see above.
 * May-December Romance: Is married to Puroshottam, who is probably in his 50's or 60's (maybe even older). She doesn't look to be a day over 30, if even that.
 * Shrinking Violet
 * Shrinking Violet

Sushma
 * Daddy's Girl
 * Defiled Forever: Regarded as such for running off with Prakash, to the point where her family mourns as though she has died.
 * My Girl Is Not a Slut
 * Nice Guy: Warns Ramdulaari that her son is in danger
 * Spoiled Sweet
 * Type Caste: Why Gajendra doesn't approve of her Love Interest.

Prakash
 * Bollywood Nerd: Studies in the city, and is bringing computers to the village to improve life there.
 * Groin Attack: Averted; Gajendra wanted him castrated for being involved with Sushma
 * Nice Guy
 * Type Caste: Gajendra dislikes him because he's from a poor family, a lower caste.

Virendra:
 * Bash Brothers: With Gajendra
 * The Dragon