This blog is part of film studies assigned by Prof. Dilip Barad Sir to enhance our hands-on understanding of narrative structure and interpretation. It focused on the editing worksheet based on the film Maharaja (2024), where It analyzed how the film disrupts linear time through deliberate transitions and cinematic techniques. By mapping key shifts in narrative—from flashbacks to false retellings—I explored how editing itself becomes a tool of deconstruction, challenging fixed meanings and revealing layered truths beneath the surface story. (Click Here )
Introduction About Film
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📌PART A: BEFORE WATCHING THE FILM
PART B: WHILE WATCHING THE FILM
INSTRUCTIONS:
• Identify at least 8 key narrative transitions where the timeline shifts.
• Pay attention to editing techniques such as match cuts, jump cuts, dissolves,
crossfades, sound bridges, etc.
• Note audio cues, costume changes, dialogue references, or mise-en-scène
indicators that help locate the timeline.
🧩 PART C: NARRATIVE MAPPING TASK
Use your notes to complete this task:
1. CONSTRUCT A TIMELINE OF EVENTS AS THEY OCCUR
CHRONOLOGICALLY (STORY TIME):
CREATE A SIMPLE TIMELINE THAT ORDERS THE ACTUAL STORY FROM
BEGINNING TO END — NOT THE WAY IT'S PRESENTED IN THE FILM, BUT
HOW IT UNFOLDS LOGICALLY.
Selvam and Sabari are two criminals who raided houses, raped women, and killed them. Selvam lived happily with his wife, Kokila, and their baby daughter, Ammu, who were unaware of his crimes. One day, Sabari informed Selvam that their crimes had appeared in the newspaper. At that moment, Selvam happened to be at Ramki Saloon for a beard trim, and during the phone conversation, he suspected that Maharaja (the barber) had overheard them. Selvam left the shop in a hurry but forgot Ammu's birthday gift, a gold chain. Maharaja later visited Selvam's house to return the chain, but at the same time, the police arrived, shot Sabari dead, and arrested Selvam—who wrongly assumed that Maharaja had exposed him. Kokila, shocked by the truth about her husband, disowned him. After Selvam's arrest, Maharaja, his wife, and their daughter went to Kokila’s new house to return the gold chain. However, Kokila rejected it, associating the gift with Selvam’s crimes. While Maharaja was out buying a toy for Ammu, a truck rammed into Kokila’s home, killing everyone—except Ammu, who was miraculously saved by Kokila’s dustbin, Lakshmi. Maharaja adopted Ammu, changed her name to Jothi, and raised her as his daughter. Years later, Jothi leaves for a sports tournament, and Maharaja recalls an incident where three men raided his house, attacked him, and took Lakshmi (the dustbin). During his investigation, Maharaja finds a receipt with a car number plate, which leads him to a man named Dhana. After following Dhana, Maharaja fights off his men and forces Dhana to reveal that one of the other perpetrators is linked to the police station, before beheading him. Initially, the police do not want to put in the effort to find a missing dustbin. But due to Maharaja’s stubbornness and his offer of a ₹5 lakh bribe to Inspector Varadharajan, they agree. However, instead of investigating properly, the police plan to pass off another dustbin as Lakshmi. To fake a resolution, they get Nallasivam, an informal police informant, to act as the culprit. Over the phone, the police ask Maharaja to narrate the incident so that Nallasivam can memorize and perform it. Maharaja begins recounting the incident—but it is revealed that the events actually happened to Jothi, not him. She had returned home from a sports camp organized by her P.T. teacher, Aasifa, while Maharaja was away. Selvam, Dhana, and Nallasivam had broken into their house intending to kill Maharaja, seeking revenge for Selvam’s imprisonment and disownment. They expected Maharaja to be at home, but he wasn’t. Instead, they blindfolded and brutally assaulted Jothi, with Nallasivam and Dhana raping her multiple times. Jothi was hospitalized and later asked her father to let her confront the perpetrators. She told the police that three men committed the crime, and that one of them had an ear-shaped birthmark on his back. Varadharajan and his team, now aware of the truth, forced Nallasivam (who by now had realized the staged role was real) to go to Maharaja’s house with the fake dustbin. There, Maharaja realizes Nallasivam is one of the actual rapists, based on how accurately he recounts the crime and the "ear" mark on his back. Varadharajan reveals that, during the investigation into Dhana’s death, his team had discovered that Nallasivam and Selvam were involved in Jothi’s rape. Disgusted, they created the ruse to bring Nallasivam to Maharaja so he could kill him. Maharaja does so. After that, Maharaja goes to a construction site, where he is shocked to find Selvam alive. He incapacitates him and brings Jothi to confront him, as she had requested. Jothi throws a bag of jewelry in Selvam’s face and walks away with Maharaja and Aasifa. Inside the bag, Selvam finds the gold chain he had once bought for Ammu’s birthday. As he sees a scar on Jothi’s shoulder, he realizes the girl he allowed to be assaulted was his own daughter, Ammu. Overcome with guilt, Selvam commits suicide by jumping from the building. The film ends with Selvam’s blood seeping into Jothi’s footprint, symbolizing the irreversible stain of his sins and her painful legacy.
2. CREATE A SECOND TIMELINE OF HOW EVENTS ARE REVEALED TO THE
AUDIENCE (SCREEN TIME):
NOTE HOW THE EDITOR/FILMMAKER DELAYS OR RESHUFFLES EVENTS FOR
SUSPENSE OR EMPHASIS.
The film Maharaja begins in a barber shop, followed by a mysterious truck accident at a house. With no clear explanation provided, the story jumps forward by a few years to show the daily life of a single father and his daughter. As the daughter leaves for a sports tournament, the father is attacked by a thief. Strangely, he reports not the attack but the theft of a dustbin named “Laxmi” to the police.
The narrative then unfolds non-linearly, jumping between a sudden fight in a club, repeated visits to the police station, a bribed investigation, and scenes of theft and sexual assault in another household. The plot circles around the father's desperate search for the dustbin, the emotional bond with his daughter, and a growing connection to a hidden past.
As the daughter competes in the tournament, scenes repeat and connect—especially those showing a serpent in the house and the father confronting the thief. Eventually, it’s revealed that the villain, who buys a necklace for his own daughter’s birthday, was once connected to the protagonist. A misunderstanding causes chaos, and the daughter, tragically, is assaulted by men linked to the villain. In the end, the protagonist takes revenge.
The film closes with a twist: the daughter of the villain, presumed dead in the early accident, was actually raised by the protagonist.
3. BRIEF REFLECTION (150-200 WORDS):
• What effect does the editing have on your understanding of the characters and Events?
The non-linear editing in Maharaja creates suspense and mystery, gradually revealing key information about the characters and their past. It makes the audience question the truth, especially about Maharaja’s intentions, Selvam’s crimes, and Jothi’s identity. This layered structure deepens our emotional connection and builds tension as hidden truths slowly unfold.
• Did any reveal surprise you because of how it was edited?
Yes, the biggest surprise was learning that Jothi is actually Selvam’s daughter, Ammu, and that the crime happened to her—not Maharaja. This twist is hidden until later through flashbacks and shifting perspectives, making the reveal more shocking and heartbreaking.
• Would a linear narrative have had the same emotional or intellectual impact?
No, a linear narrative would have made the story predictable and less emotionally intense. The fragmented timeline keeps the audience engaged, makes the mystery stronger, and allows for powerful emotional payoffs at key moments—especially in the final confrontation and Selvam’s realization. At the end protagonist not dramatise that she is your daughter and you did wrong though you have daughter but though we are able to understand his guilt about the wrong thing without any words.
🎬 PART D: EDITING TECHNIQUES DEEP DIVE
Choose any two sequences from the film that demonstrate exceptional editing.
For each, describe:
🎞️ Sequence 1: The Fake Dustbin & Nallasivam's Visit
• What is happening in the scene?
The police bring Nallasivam to Maharaja’s house with a fake dustbin to close the case.Nallasivam retells the “robbery” incident, but the editing shifts the perspective to rape of Jothi, revealing the truth about the rape and attackers.
• Which editing techniques are used?
Slow motion enhances horror and tension during the assault reveal.
• How does the editing influence pacing, emotion, or information flow?
The editing builds shock and emotional impact by slowly replacing false assumptions with brutal truth. The interwoven timelines make the twist powerful and tragic, revealing just how much Maharaja was hiding or bearing silently.
🎞️ Sequence 2: Final Confrontation at the Construction Site
• What is happening in the scene?
Maharaja brings Jothi to confront Selvam. After she throws the bag of jewelry at him, Selvam realizes Jothi is his daughter, Ammu. Overcome with guilt, he dies by suicide.
• Which editing techniques are used?
Match cuts between past (Ammu) and present (Jothi) help visually link their identities.
Close-up shots on the scar, chain, and Selvam’s face intensify realization.
Jump cuts enhance Selvam’s mental breakdown.
Symbolic imagery, like blood seeping into the footprint, ends the scene poetically.
• How does the editing influence pacing, emotion, or information flow?
The editing creates a slow, dramatic pace to give weight to Selvam’s guilt and the emotional reunion. It allows the audience to process his realization with him, making his suicide feel like a tragic but inevitable conclusion.
Symbol :
Laxmi (Dustbin) : symbolizes the father's love and memory of his daughter. Though seen as trash by others, it holds emotional value for him.
Footprint : on the necklace represents the daughter's lasting presence. It’s a clue and symbol of innocence, helping the father find justice.
The flower pot : Hiding the key symbolizes trust and routine, but also a false sense of safety. When the house is attacked, it reflects how even familiar, secure spaces can be easily violated. It serves as a quiet metaphor for how comfort can lead to vulnerability, and how the ordinary can invite the unexpected.
voice of water drinking : The sound of water drinking symbolizes suppressed tension and hidden truths. Often placed in quiet, intense moments, it reflects how characters try to maintain control while swallowing their fear, guilt, or pain. It becomes a subtle reminder of the unspoken emotions simmering beneath the surface.
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