INTRODUCTION
Neil Khanna, to me, is a fascinating character. Not only is he distinctly separate from his peers in other serials - I find that the creatives of Naamkarann are quite consistent when plotting his character arc through the series. In this analysis, I attempt to shed light on what I think makes him so uniquely him. I don't think I will say anything out of the ordinary. I just want to put my thoughts in one place. Also, I would like to add that none of this is "good" or "bad" values. They just are. That's what makes him a special man.
I. JUSTICE, ETHICS AND MORALITY
"I must be willing to give whatever it takes to do good to others. This requires that I be willing to give until it hurts. Otherwise, there is no true love in me, and I bring injustice, not peace, to those around me.
It's Neil's capacity to give, and to give freely is what really sets him apart from his peers. From the get-go, Neil's first instinct is to offer help (rescuing Avni from what he thought was a suicide attempt), offer advice (teaching Avni how to defend herself), or offer redressal (dressing her wounds). Of course, one can argue that he gives so freely only to the ones he loves but I don't think so. Case in point - giving Riya his support, even if it meant going against his own family.
Which brings me to the speculative part of this sub-heading. What motivates Neil to give as much as he does? I argue that it isn't his desire to be a do-gooder, but because of his keen sense of justice. And not just justice in the sense of retribution, but a genuine desire to give and spread justice all around him.
But this justice isn't free of cost. Neil is no pushover. He expects as much as he gives back. I offer the episode where Avni takes her complaint back against Amol/Aman (not sure where we stand on that haha) as example. Look at how deeply he was hurt. Look at the text message he sent Avni when she tried to explain her point of view. He doesn't say "justice was denied today". He says "you have betrayed me". This goes on to show how personal justice is for him. Justice isn't the wardi he wears, or the badges he pins on his breast. His sense of justice is keen, runs deep in his blood and screams out in every single act he does.
With justice, comes the question of ethics. And Neil, though a just man - is not an ethical one.
Neil is a man deeply aware of the ways of the world. It's this interesting blend of cynicism and idealism that makes him such a rich, interesting character. He knows, that sometimes, to serve the right cause - we must adopt unfair means. For him, the ethics of it are relevant - so far as so as they serve the cause.
What is interesting is that if Neil can achieve something through the "ethical" means - he will do it. But here too, is his pragmatism and not some adarsh-vaadi love for ethics that guides the choice. On a balance, he knows that to follow the ethical norm is ultimately more beneficial than following the unethical means. Look at his dialogues when he's trying to reason with Avni, when she wants to do something foolhardy. He doesn't say "Avni, aisa karna galat hoga". He says, "Avni, aisa karne se tum criminal ban jaogi". Another recent example would be the episode where Avni plants the audio-device inside Rang Mahal. Here too, after the initial distress of Avni putting herself in harm's way, he doesn't object to the ethics of listening in on conversations. He laments that any evidence collected through the device, "is unusable".
This is not to say Neil is a "bad" man. Once again, I'd like to reiterate that good and bad are useless value judgments that do little to help us in understanding characters. This is just to argue that ethics are grounded, absolute and stern and Neil not being an ethical man isn't necessarily a demerit. On the contrary, I see it as an absolute merit. I firmly believe that men who cannot adapt to the ways of the world will be relics left behind by time, people and soon, memory.
If Neil's ethics are flexible - his morals are anything but. His morality is keenly tied to his sense of justice. Like most "heroes" - Neil's moral code is decisively his own. He chooses what is good, and what is bad. He makes a choice - an active, informed choice and then places value judgments. But what's to note here, is that when Neil makes a moral judgement - he STICKS with it. Until evidence pops up disproving the notions held by him thus far.
This is what makes him such a good cop, and this is why he gets so much leeway from his superiors. His keen sense of morality, his steadfast belief in justice and flexible ethics all make for a man who gets the job done. And he does do a good job - doesn't he?
What do you think? Please comment! Part II to be published later.
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