Gulrez Character Analysis

A friend of Musa’s who has special needs. Sweet and attentive, Gulrez comes to meet Tilo at the bus station when she first arrives in Kashmir, and cooks meals for her and Musa during their stays on the houseboat. Gulrez is traumatized from his experiences with the Indian army. As a young man, he mistakes the Indian army for the Pakistani army, imagining Pakistan has come to free Kashmir. He runs towards soldiers to kiss their hands only to be shot in the leg and severely beaten. Gulrez has relationships with animals that are very dear to him, including one with a rooster called Sultan who is murdered by the army as well. When the military raid the houseboat where Gulrez is staying with Tilo, Musa has just left, and the military, led by Major Amrik Singh, mistake him for Musa and severely torture and murder him. This murder is what inspires Tilo and Musa to go after Major Singh for revenge.