This task was assigned by Dr. Dilip Sir Barad. It is related to film studies and focuses on how we analyze the editing in the movie Maharaja. For further information Click here .
PART A: BEFORE WATCHING
THE FILM : -
What is Non-Linear Narration in Cinema?
Non-linear narration is a storytelling technique in cinema where the events of the story are not shown in the correct time order. Instead of starting from the beginning and going step by step to the end, the story jumps between different time periods like from the present to the past, or from the middle to the beginning. This technique is often used to make the story more interesting, emotional, or suspenseful. It keeps the audience curious because they don’t know everything at once. As the story moves forward, small pieces of the past or future are revealed, helping the viewer understand the full picture slowly. This method also allows the filmmaker to focus more on emotions, memories, or the inner world of a character, instead of just following a timeline. By showing important events out of order, non-linear narration can make a story more powerful, thought-provoking, and engaging for the audience.
How Can Editing Alter or Manipulate the Perception of Time in Film?
Editing is the process of selecting, arranging, and joining different shots and scenes to tell a story in film. It doesn’t just connect scenes it also controls how the audience feels time while watching the movie. Through editing, a filmmaker can jump between different times in the story, such as showing a memory from the past or hinting at something that will happen later. This changes the audience’s experience of time and can create more emotion, suspense, or drama. For example, flashbacks are used to show past events that help us understand a character's present situation. Ellipses are used to skip over unimportant moments, like long travel or waiting, to move the story forward quickly. Cross-cutting and parallel editing show two or more scenes happening at the same time in different places, which increases tension or shows connection between characters. A sound bridge can also connect two different scenes through continuous sound, helping us move smoothly from one time or place to another. These editing techniques help filmmakers to manipulate time, making it feel fast, slow, emotional, or even broken depending on the mood and message of the film.
PART B – WHILE WATCHING THE FILM
Scene / Sequence | Approx. Time | Time Period | Visual or Editing Clues | Narrative Purpose |
Maharaja files complaint about stolen dustbin | 00:23:17 | Present | Real-time pacing, flat lighting, long takes | Creates mystery; audience questions why he cares about a dustbin |
Flashback of truck crash and Ammu saved by dustbin | 02:15:20 | Past | Flashback with fade-in, soft lighting, emotional tone | Shows emotional value of “Lakshmi” (dustbin) and introduces Ammu’s (Jothi’s) origin |
Maharaja finds receipt from the attackers | 01:00:36 | Past | Match cut from present to past; object triggers memory | Begins his hidden investigation into the culprits |
Maharaja tails Dhana and kills him | 01:09:21 | Past | Handheld camera, intense pacing, sudden silence after kill | Shows first act of revenge; reveals motive behind false complaint |
Jothi’s assault (true version revealed) | 01:40:36 | Past | Flashback, dim lighting, emotional silence, close-ups | Reveals trauma; truth hidden until now through narration twist |
Maharaja narrates story to police (Jothi’s story shown) | 01:40:36 | Present + Past | Voiceover narration over flashback visuals (sound bridge) | Creates dramatic irony — police think it’s his story, audience sees the truth |
Nallasivam identified as rapist (via “ear” clue) | 01:58:51 | Present | Close-up on ear, slow zoom, suspense music | Maharaja confirms identity; prepares for final revenge |
Reveal of Jothi's true identity as Selvam’s daughter | 02:17:09 | Present + Past | Parallel editing; scar triggers memory; warm-to-dark color shift | Final twist; connects all past and present — guilt, regret, and emotional closure |
PART C – NARRATIVE MAPPING COMPARISON
(Chronological Timeline vs. Story Timeline)
Chronological Timeline (Real Time Order) | Story Timeline (Order Shown in the Film) |
1. Selvam and Sabari commit crimes (rape & murder). | 1. Maharaja begins with Maharaja working quietly in his barber shop. |
2. Selvam forgets Ammu’s chain at the salon. | 2. Maharaja files a police complaint about a missing dustbin(Laxmi). Police mock the complaint; audience is confused. |
3. Maharaja visits Kokila’s house to return the chain. | 3. Maharaja narrates a robbery story involving the dustbin. |
4. Truck accident kills Kokila; Ammu survives under a dustbin. | 4. Flashback shows the truck crash and how dustbin “Lakshmi” saved the child. |
5. Maharaja adopts Ammu and renames her Jothi. | 5. Scenes of Jothi’s childhood and bond with Maharaja shown. |
6. Jothi grows up and returns from a sports camp. | 6. Maharaja finds a receipt and begins following Dhana. |
7. Selvam, Dhana, and Nallasivam break in to kill Maharaja. | 7. Flashback reveals how Maharaja killed Dhana. |
8. Maharaja isn’t home; Dhana and Nallasivam rape Jothi. | 8. Police decide to close the case using a fake culprit (Nallasivam). |
9. Jothi is hospitalized and gives clues to her father. | 9. Maharaja narrates the incident; visuals show it actually happened to Jothi (not him). |
10. Maharaja kills Dhana. | 10. Nallasivam is brought to Maharaja’s house as “culprit.” |
11. Maharaja files fake complaint to access police station. | 11. Maharaja identifies Nallasivam as the rapist by the “ear” on his back. |
12. Maharaja investigates other culprits at the station. | 12. Maharaja kills Nallasivam with police support. |
13. Police discover the truth and support Maharaja's revenge. | 13. Maharaja brings Jothi to confront Selvam. |
14. Jothi throws jewellery at Selvam and leaves. | 14. Flashback + scar reveal that Jothi is actually Ammu, Selvam’s daughter. |
15. Selvam realizes the truth and jumps to his death. | 15. Selvam dies; his blood touches Jothi’s footprint — symbolic ending. |
Question 3: Brief Reflection :-
The editing in Maharaja (2024) helps the audience understand the story step by step. In the beginning, Maharaja seems like a quiet barber who files a strange police complaint about a missing dustbin. The audience feels confused. But slowly, through flashbacks, we learn the truth: the dustbin saved Jothi during a past accident, and later, Maharaja used the story of the missing dustbin to secretly search for the men who raped his daughter. This method of editing hides the truth and reveals it piece by piece. It creates suspense, emotion, and surprise.
The most shocking part was when we find out that Jothi is actually Ammu, Selvam’s daughter. This twist is very emotional and was kept hidden until the right moment. The editing made this moment more powerful.
If the film was told in a straight, time-based order (linear), the audience would know everything from the beginning, and the emotional impact would be weaker. But because of the non-linear editing, the audience feels what Maharaja feels — confusion, pain, and strength. This way, the editing makes the film more powerful and moving.
PART D – EDITING TECHNIQUES IN MAHARAJA (2024.)
Editing Technique | Where It Happens in the Film | Purpose / Effect |
Flashback | When the story reveals past events like the truck accident, Jothi's rape, her adoption, and Dhana’s murder | Slowly reveals the emotional truth; creates suspense and connects the audience to hidden pain |
Voice-over with Flashback | When Maharaja narrates the robbery to police, but the visuals show the real events that happened to Jothi | Creates dramatic irony — what Maharaja says and what really happened are different |
Ellipsis | Time gaps are skipped — for example, the film does not show how Maharaja tracked the full movements of every criminal | Keeps the story focused; avoids unnecessary details to keep pace tight |
Parallel Editing | Shows Maharaja’s secret investigation and the police's fake solution being planned at the same time | Builds tension; shows different people working on the same case in different ways |
Sound Bridge | When sound from a past event (e.g., Jothi’s memory) continues over present scenes or during transitions | Smoothly connects past and present; helps guide the audience through emotional shifts |
Slow Motion | Used during emotional scenes, like Selvam’s realization and suicide, or during Jothi’s assault | Adds emotional weight and helps the audience feel the pain and shock |
Cross-cutting | Between Maharaja’s narration and the flashbacks that show the actual truth | Builds suspense; helps contrast what is being said and what really happened |
Visual Match (Motif) | Seeing the scar on Jothi’s shoulder, which triggers Selvam’s memory of Ammu | Helps connect the final twist visually; confirms Jothi’s true identity |
PART E – FINAL INSIGHTS & REFLECTIONS :-
In Maharaja, editing is not just a technical craft but a storytelling strategy.”
In most films, editing is used to connect scenes, remove unwanted parts, and make the movie flow smoothly. But in Maharaja (2024), editing is used for much more than just technical work. In this film, editing becomes a way of telling the story. The editor helps control what we see, when we see it, and how we feel. The film does not follow a straight timeline. It moves between the past and the present, and this helps the audience understand the story step by step. This kind of storytelling is called non-linear narration, and editing is what makes it work.
The film starts in the present. Maharaja, a silent barber, walks into a police station and files a complaint about a missing dustbin. The police laugh, and the audience is confused. Why is a man so serious about a dustbin? But as the film moves forward, we begin to learn the truth. The dustbin has a deep emotional meaning. Years ago, it saved a little girl, Ammu, during a house accident. That girl was adopted by Maharaja and raised as his daughter, Jothi. Later, Jothi was brutally raped by two men. Maharaja, filled with guilt and pain, used the “stolen dustbin” story as a cover to get into the police system and secretly find those who hurt his daughter.
This truth is not shown at the beginning. It is revealed slowly through flashbacks and visual clues. The editing decides when to show each piece of information. This creates suspense. The audience wants to know more. Why is Maharaja so silent? Why does the dustbin matter? What happened to his daughter? These questions are answered one by one, and that’s what makes the film powerful. If the story had been told in a simple straight order (from beginning to end), the effect would not be the same.
The reveal that shocked many viewers was the moment when Selvam, one of the criminals, finds out that Jothi is actually his own daughter, Ammu. This twist is emotional and painful. But what makes it even more powerful is that the editing hides this truth until the final part of the movie. The audience, like Selvam, feels the shock all at once. Editing plays a big role here. It manages the timing of this reveal, and this changes how we feel about the characters and their actions.
The film uses many editing techniques to support this storytelling. For example, flashbacks are used to show memories and past events. Voiceover is used when Maharaja is talking to the police, but we see the real event happening to Jothi. This creates dramatic irony — where the audience knows more than the characters. Parallel editing is used to show two things happening at the same time — like Maharaja’s investigation and the police's actions. These techniques help connect scenes across different times and places. They also keep the audience interested and emotionally involved.
Another technique used is ellipsis, where unimportant time gaps are skipped. For example, we don’t see how Maharaja follows every criminal step-by-step. Only the important moments are shown. This helps the story move faster and stay focused. The editor also uses match cuts and sound bridges to connect past and present scenes smoothly. These techniques help make the transitions feel natural and meaningful.
Conclusion :-
The film Maharaja (2024) uses non-linear narration and powerful editing techniques to tell a deeply emotional and suspenseful story. Instead of showing events in time order, the film moves between past and present, slowly revealing the truth. Editing tools like flashbacks, sound bridges, and parallel editing help the audience connect with the characters and feel their pain, anger, and sadness.
We learn that time in cinema is not just about when things happen, but how they are shown. The film hides important truths until the right moment, which makes the story more powerful. If the story was told in a straight line, the emotional and shocking moments would not feel as strong.
Overall, Maharaja teaches us how editing and story structure can shape the way we understand the film, feel for the characters, and stay engaged until the very end.
Reference:-
Maharaja.Directed by Nithilan Saminathan,Sudhan Sundaram, Jagadish Palanisamy, 2024.
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