Rizwan, the terrorist?

So, Rizwan, who from the age of 6, has grown up among hatred and bigotry, and been trained to avenge his parent's death, is not a very successful pupil. To condition a child from that tender age, changes even the most shy and sensitive kids. But the beauty of his character is that, love has changed him irrevocably.

Rizwan may have been a hard-core non-emotional guy before coming to the Hooda family, but, living with the Hoodas for 4 years has changed him into this sensitive, and caring person, who is a far cry from being a terror-wrecking criminal. Also, when you have love in your heart, and that love is your driving force, no amount of hatred can make you kill someone else. Rizwan is a unique case in that, he lost the parents he really loved at an early age. But that love for his parents is what drives him in all his missions. And if you have understood loss of love, you will not be able to inflict that loss on anyone else either. Rizwan stops from killing innocents, because he understands this loss. He identifies with it and doesn't want some innocent civilian to also suffer the same fate as him. This is what drives him apart from his baba and gang. Those fellows are motivated by money and not by love, which is why for them killing people is not such a big deal. Rizwan may have been accomplice to the Captain's murder, because he may genuinely have believed that the Captain is responsible for the death of his parents/other innocent civilians from his country. This is what politicians do, kill each other on other sides of the border to protect their own. The moral ethics are blurred in what a person with duty does versus a vigilante does. So who's to judge?

Now, the vacuum in his heart is replaced with love for Preet and the Hooda family, and no matter how much Atif and Baba and gang try, Rizwan is not going to come back to them and that hatred. Love changes people irrevocably, from a place they can never retract and become hate-mongers. He is shown as a lousy terrorist, one who can put the mission in jeopardy to save innocents or his loved ones. He is never in on any plans, because atif knows Rizwan's heart is too gullible to be ok with blood of civilians. When it comes to Preet, Rizwan's duty goes out of the window and all that matters in that moment is her. He is always shown in conflict, not so much out of morality, but out of love. The love that his heart has felt, changed him, and now to think of killing people, seems out of the question. He is always questioning his duty and his love for this family. Somewhere, he wants to give it up and just settle in as Ishan, but the other side of him know that his identity as Rizwan will destroy this bubble he has grown to love and live in. Which is why he chooses to still go along with Atif, because everytime he tries to take a step forward to Preet, he is taken back in flashback to his parent's death and he feels guilty about letting it go. For a child who has grown up only wanting one thing in life, which is revenge for his parent's death, to forget about it, feels as guilty as it feels to betray Preet and the family. That is why he is always in two minds, one to love Preet and take a step towards her, and one where he has to take revenge for his parent's death.

This is what I love about the show, that they have shown that even a person who has lived in hatred for all his life, can change if he gets love and support. They have shown two sides of the same coin. A child who has been through trauma, can either become a terrorist if people condition him to, or the same man can blossom as a good human being if showered with love and support. All wounds can be healed by only love, revenge does not erase any memories or wounds, only love does.

This is why Rizwan is a lousy terrorist, one whose heart is bigger than he knows, and one that is filled with love, which disallows him to do anything against others. This is why, Preet will find it in her to forgive him one day, and know that she loved a good man, a man who was only the result of his situations, and she will know that she was responsible to turn him around from a life of hate and revenge and guilt. She made him human again and she will feel proud of it.

First of all Pooja , let me say what a lovely post and great reflection on the psyche of Rizwan. Loved reading every bit of it.You should write more imo. ⭐️👏

Oh what a beautiful piece of writing! Please write often!

Hi Payal,

Thank you so much for your kind words! :) Coming from you, it's definitely a big compliment. I was waiting for your post today. Agree with everything you've said above.

I think the writers have really done a good job, because even though one cannot look away from rizwan's earlier activities with his gang, they have shown this compassionate, loving and moral side to him, that makes viewers look at him with an ambiguous eye. You are, as a viewer, constantly trying to understand him, or sympathize with him or feel sorry for him. That is the mark of a well written character, because flawed is what is beautiful, and is real, and to be able to make such a flawed character, that too in such a sensitive backdrop, is commendable. Like you, I am more intrigued by Rizwan, because his struggle is unique and real. He is not a white or black character, but the more believable grey person. Contrast to him, Preet is all white. They both are stark contrasts of two people who even though encountered the same trauma, fell into different situations and hence look at their past differently. Preet also wants to avenge her family, but by putting those responsible in law's hands, whereas Rizwan wants to avenge them himself. That is the difference. Also, Preet was adult when this happened, she was already conditioned a certain way and she fell into the hands of the Hoodas who looked after her and supported her with love, to ease her wounds. Rizwan was 6, we always have to remember that. As much as I condone his complicity in Captain;s murder, I also am never able to forget that as a 6 year old he has grown up amongst terrorists. I am almost amused he hasn't turned out to be a hard core criminal mindset yet. In fact I applaud that despite the vicious Atif and Baba who are literally blood suckers, he is very soft-hearted. I think it itself is a big redeeming quality. 6 years old is nothing, it's literally the time the child is starting to have a personality, a mindset of his own and it was at this tender impressionable age he got conditioned with hatred, and yet he isn't a hater. Nor has he spouted hate-filled dialogues against India yet, nor has he said despicable things about the army ( that he considers killed his parents).

I find that very interesting, that he has kept his humane side intact, even though he has been brainwashed all his life. It's the same as, I am conditioned by my parents for all my life to love India, to consider causing harm to others as a sin, and I cannot bring myself EVER to think of killing, or hurting others even if it might be out of anger or that person may be evil or a criminal etc. Conditioning works for both, we are only seeing the bad side, because we are taught those morals and ethics. Similarly for Rizwan, his morals and ethics have come from baba, who has onyl taught him hatred. But, what a beautiful thing love is, when you find it, you know hatred is a sham for living. The real drug to live and go on is love.

I don't know the end of the show, I do believe that his character's trajectory is going in the right direction and even if Preet finds out his identity, I think, he is deserving of forgiveness. He may go to jail, because it is an act against the country to have been a part of the conspiracy to kill Captain ( though Captain is not dead ,according to news), but I do hope the ending is PReet waiting for him to serve his time and then them being able to live their lives without the shadows of his past. Otherwise, it will be a misleading end to a story that tried to show that you can change your life around, if you want to.

@Pooja, you are welcome and thanks. I am planning to write something, hopefully post soon. Now goes back to read your reply. 😃

Originally posted by: Fantasia.

That deprived hatred fed person was sent to a family with genuine emotions. He told them a story which somewhere reflected his own life story as well, and one by one every relation took turns in healing him unconsciously. He got parents and siblings, he settled in that home effortlessly as an obedient son and an elder brother and then was Preet .. a strong independent yet gullible woman. Who started off by being there for him every minute of the day and slowly entered his heart. She is innocent yet strong, and she makes Rizwaan forget about his mission the most because she looks at him with trust.

The rest of the Hooda family looks at Ishaan with love, but Preet looks at him with trust and this makes him love her, protect her, always nurture her because she trusts him, and this trust is the first seed of love which he knows will destroy him, but yet he waters that seedling everyday.

Rizwan's failure at being what he was taught to be makes him so flawed. Yes everybody is supposed to be good, but Rizwaan's inability to be bad is what makes him flawed yet vulnerable. If he could have owned his identity, he would have never been bothered about the consequences of his truth revealed, but its his inability to be bad that makes him scared, and everybody who is watching .. scared to death that what will happen.

Hi fantasia, ( I 'm sorry I don't know your name yet. I am Pooja :)

Thanks a ton for your compliment and for your post. I think you nailed it in the above paras. Especially the trust part between Preet and him. I think that is what keeps him from going back to that hatred. Also, the Hooda family really stepped in as his, because like you said, his and Ishan's story is the same. That played a big role in Rizwan turning around.

And again, nailed the part about his inability to be bad, which is scaring him. He is scared to admit that he loves this family, is in love with Preet, and is unable to admit to himself that it is this love that has rendered his hatred and mission useless. Which is why they keep showing him desperately trying to remember the death of his parents whenever he feels vulnerable towards Preet, because he has to keep reminding himself about it.

Originally posted by: pp29

Hi fantasia, ( I 'm sorry I don't know your name yet. I am Pooja :)

Thanks a ton for your compliment and for your post. I think you nailed it in the above paras. Especially the trust part between Preet and him. I think that is what keeps him from going back to that hatred. Also, the Hooda family really stepped in as his, because like you said, his and Ishan's story is the same. That played a big role in Rizwan turning around.

And again, nailed the part about his inability to be bad, which is scaring him. He is scared to admit that he loves this family, is in love with Preet, and is unable to admit to himself that it is this love that has rendered his hatred and mission useless. Which is why they keep showing him desperately trying to remember the death of his parents whenever he feels vulnerable towards Preet, because he has to keep reminding himself about it.