Foil

Character Role Analysis

Jamal / Salim

Though we've already explored Salim's role as antagonist and even his role as protector, we think his character is best understood in relationship to Jamal. Though the two brothers were born into the same circumstances in the slums of Mumbai, and both must fight for survival after the death of their mother, they end up on two very different paths.

Salim chooses the life of the gangster, in pursuit of wealth and power. Jamal, meanwhile, chooses a more modest life, prioritizing love, and the safety of his loved one, above all else.

Certainly we identify with the nobility of Jamal's quest, while Salim repeatedly stands in the way. But the pair of brothers share the same origin story, and in the end, it's their fraternal bond that connects them through thick and thin—and in life and in death.