Maharaja: Analyzing Editing and Non-Linear Narrative
This blog is given by Pro. and Dr. Dilip Barad sir.
Maharaja is a 2024 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by Nithilan Saminathan. Produced by The Route, Think Studios and Passion Studios, the film stars Vijay Sethupathi, alongside Anurag Kashyap, Mamta Mohandas, Natty Subramaniam, Abhirami, Divyabharathi, Singampuli, Aruldoss, Munishkanth, Sachana Namidass, Manikandan and Bharathiraja. The story follows a barber in Chennai who goes to the police station to retrieve his stolen dustbin, only for the police to find his intentions to be something else.
Here description of this film according to worksheet:
Part A: Before watching the film:-
What is Non-Linear Narration in Cinema?
In film studies, non-linear narration (or non-linear storytelling) refers to a narrative technique where events in a film are presented out of chronological order, instead of following the natural sequence of “beginning → middle → end.”
This style is often used to:
Create suspense or surprise
Reflect the complexity of memory and human perception
Draw thematic connections between events that are separated in time
Allow the audience to experience the story in a more subjective or artistic way
Non-linear narration is especially effective in exploring characters’ inner lives, multiple perspectives, and layered storytelling.
Example of Movie
Andhadhun (2018, dir. Sriram Raghavan)
Andhadhun uses non-linear elements by showing events from different perspectives and later revealing hidden truths that force audiences to question what they previously believed. The unreliable narrator creates gaps that viewers must fill.
HOW CAN EDITING ALTER OR MANIPULATE THE PERCEPTION OF TIME IN FILM?
MENTION EDITING TECHNIQUES LIKE CROSS-CUTTING, FLASHBACKS, PARALLEL EDITING, ELLIPSES, ETC
Editing and the Perception of Time in Film
In film theory, editing is frequently described as the “invisible art” that fundamentally shapes the audience’s experience of time, space, and emotion. Beyond merely joining shots together, editing organizes narrative meaning and structures the temporal flow of cinematic events. By manipulating the order, duration, and rhythm of shots, editors can compress, expand, or fragment time to achieve specific narrative and stylistic goals.
Film theorists such as David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson have highlighted that editing serves not only as a narrative device but also as a means of engaging the viewer’s cognitive and perceptual faculties. Psycho-cinematic studies similarly demonstrate that editing cues directly affect how spectators process time on screen, often unconsciously.
Ellipses (Time Compression)
Ellipsis involves deliberately omitting segments of an event while still suggesting continuity. This technique accelerates the narrative by excluding mundane, repetitive, or predictable actions, allowing the story to progress swiftly. For instance, a film might depict a character leaving home and then immediately cut to their arrival at a distant destination, skipping the intermediate journey while maintaining narrative coherence. Such compression aligns cinematic time with narrative time, directing viewer attention toward moments of greater dramatic or thematic significance.
Flashbacks and Flashforwards (Non-linear Editing)
These are techniques of temporal disruption that insert scenes from the past (flashbacks) or future (flash-forwards) into the linear present of the narrative. They enrich character development, offer backstory, foreshadow events, or introduce ambiguity. For example, a flashback revealing a protagonist’s traumatic childhood reframes audience understanding of their current behavior. By disturbing chronological flow, non-linear editing demands more active cognitive engagement from viewers, prompting them to reconstruct narrative causality.
Cross-Cutting (Parallel Editing)
Cross-cutting alternates between two or more actions occurring simultaneously in different locations, thereby constructing parallel narratives. This technique generates tension, suspense, and thematic resonance. A classic example is intercutting between a bomb countdown and a character racing to defuse it, heightening emotional stakes. The rhythmic juxtaposition of separate storylines invites viewers to draw connections and anticipate outcomes, effectively expanding perceived narrative time.
Overlapping Editing (Time Expansion)
In overlapping editing, parts of an action are repeated from different angles or perspectives, extending their screen time. This temporal expansion can amplify dramatic impact or emphasize emotional intensity. For instance, a punch or explosion might be shown multiple times from distinct viewpoints, making the moment feel prolonged and significant. Overlapping editing distorts real time to enhance affective engagement.
Montage Sequences
A montage is a series of brief, thematically linked shots edited together to condense long periods into a short screen duration. Commonly used to depict training, character growth, or historical change, montages communicate progression quickly while maintaining narrative clarity. A classic example might show a student’s preparation for exams through successive shots of studying, drinking coffee, and attending classes, conveying weeks of effort in mere seconds.
Continuity vs. Discontinuity Editing
Continuity editing follows conventions designed to ensure spatial and temporal coherence (e.g., match cuts, shot/reverse-shot), creating an illusion of seamless, linear time.
Discontinuity editing intentionally disrupts this coherence through jump cuts, mismatched action, or temporal disjunction, challenging viewers to question narrative flow and cinematic representation.
Cognitive studies in film have shown that continuity cuts often feel longer due to the viewer’s increased processing of spatial relationships, while discontinuity cuts tend to feel briefer because they signal abrupt shifts, prompting viewers to reset attention.
Scholarly Context
According to Bordwell and Thompson (2010) and psycho-cinematic research, editing techniques function on both narrative and perceptual levels. They organize storytelling while also shaping how viewers feel and process cinematic time—making moments seem fleeting, eternal, or fragmented. Editing thus transcends technical assembly to become a primary means through which film constructs meaning, rhythm, and emotional resonance.
Part: B While watching Maharaja Film: -
Part C: - Narrative mapping tasks: -
Logical (Chronological) Timeline — What Actually Happens
2009
Selvam and Sabari carry out heinous crimes (rapes and murders) while Selvam secretly lives with wife Kokila and baby daughter Annu, oblivious to his secret life
Selvam picks up a gold chain for Annu’s birthday, stops at Maharaja’s salon for a trim; Maharaja overhears incriminating phone conversation and notes Selvam’s address
Selvam leaves his daughter’s chain behind. Maharaja returns it, but police arrest Selvam and kill Sabari based on independent investigation
Maharaja, his wife, and their daughter visit the now orphaned Annu to return the chain. His wife buys Annu a toy. While at the toy shop, a truck crashes, killing Maharaja’s wife, Kokila, and one infant—Maharaja survives & Annu is saved by a dustbin, “Lakshmi.” Maharaja adopts Annu, renaming her Jothi
2023 (Present timeline)
Jothi returns from a sports camp; Selvam (now free) with accomplices Dhana and Nallasivam break into Maharaja’s home seeking revenge
Mahdi Ahmed
Selvam assaults and Dhana & Nallasivam rape Jothi; Maharaja arrives late, finds her badly injured, and rushes her to hospital.
He kills Dhana. Police stage a fake recovery of “Lakshmi” via informant Nallasivam to lure the others.
Maharaja identifies Nallasivam as one attacker from his reenactment. Police then lead him to Selvam, allowing Maharaja to confront him at a construction site. Jothi, at her father's request, faces Selvam, throws jewelry at him, and leaves.
Selvam discovers Jothi’s scar and the missing chain, realising she is his daughter Annu. Consumed by guilt, he commits suicide; his blood seeps into Jothi’s footprints, mirroring Annu’s bracelet motif.
2. Narrative (Screen-Time) Timeline — How It’s Revealed
Opening present-day: Maharaja files a bizarre missing “Lakshmi” complaint (the dustbin) at the police station.
We get cryptic flashbacks: glimpses of his life, the toy shop, and references to the tragedy, building intrigue.
The fake dustbin case plays out at the station, comedic interplay with police.
Cut between Maharaja tailing suspects (Dhana, Nallasivam) and flashbacks to Selvam's past life, his family, and his crimes—slowly unveiling backstory.
Mid-film, the full 2009 tragedy is shown: truck crash, adoption of Annu/Jothi.
Present-day: reveal of the rape assault on Jothi.
The reenactment scene exposes Nallasivam as an attacker.
Lead-up to confrontation: Nallasivam brought in as a scapegoat, Maharaja identifies him.
Climactic reveal: Selvam realized as Annu's father, confrontation with Jothi, Selvam’s suicide.
3. Reflection
The non-linear structure of Maharaja masterfully withholds key revelations until dramatic peaks, shaping our emotional engagement. At first, the missing dustbin seems absurd—played for comedic effect—but as flashbacks intermix with strained present moments, its deeper symbolic weight emerges. This method enriches both character and theme: Maharaja isn't just eccentric—he’s obsessively protecting what little remains of his broken past.
Delayed revelation of Jothi’s assault is impactful. We sympathize with Maharaja’s seemingly trivial quest, then suddenly understand the shocking stakes behind it. The layered flashbacks, rhythms of suspense, and key flashbacks—like the truck crash and child trauma create powerful empathy. The final twist—unveiling Jothi as Selvam’s daughter—carries more emotional weight because it's assembled piece by piece. If the film were told linearly, much of its tension and moral complexity would flatten. The intentional reshuffle amplifies tragedy, irony, and thematic resonance: how evil and innocence intertwine across generations, and how justice can emerge from deeply broken lives. The nonlinear editing thus shapes a richer, more unsettling understanding of these characters and their intertwined fates.
Part D: - Editing Techniques Deep Dive
Scene 1: The Robbery Revelation Scene
Scene 2: -The Climax Fight and Truth Reveal
Comments
Post a Comment