Roshan Seth played Chattar Lal in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.”
Chattar Lal is the prime minister of Pankot and the chief adviser to the young Maharaja Zalim Singh. When Indiana Jones, Willie Scott, and Short Round arrive at Pankot Palace, Lal serves as their host and helps present the palace as a civilized and welcoming court. His polished manners conceal his allegiance to the Thuggee cult and its leader, Mola Ram.
Seth’s performance is especially important because Chattar Lal is not introduced as an obvious villain. He appears skeptical of Jones but remains outwardly diplomatic during the palace banquet and the visitors’ conversations about the missing children. The character’s later connection to the cult reveals that the palace’s political leadership is involved in the exploitation of Mayapore’s children.
Roshan Seth was already internationally recognized for playing Jawaharlal Nehru in “Gandhi” before “Temple of Doom.” This role is often confused with the film’s other major Indian characters: Amrish Puri played Mola Ram, while Philip Stone played Captain Blumburtt. Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri were not the actors portraying Chattar Lal.