He is opposed by the Maharajah's prime minister Singh (Charles Boyer), who is a proponent of Mohandas Gandhi's philosophy of non-violence.

Steve falls in love with Joan Willoughby (Deborah Kerr), a blind woman who is one of the community of Anglo-Indians who have remained after Independence and the daughter of the local Vicar (Cecil Kellaway).

Stuck with his cargo of 20 Thompson submachineguns, 200 rifles and 100,000 rounds of ammunition, Steve considers selling his wares to the opposing army led by General Newah Khan (Philip Bourneuf) who has an undercover representative at the Hotel Gandahar, however Prime Minister Singh impounds the weapons.

[11] Paramount ended up borrowing both Deborah Kerr from MGM to play the female lead and Corinne Calvet from Hal Wallis to support.

Charles Boyer signed for the role of a Nehru-like politician; he had played a Japanese character in a 1934 French film also called Thunder in the East.

Jay Livingstone and Ray Evans wrote a tie-in song for the film The Ruby and the Pearl that was recorded by Nat King Cole and others.