Private Project

Story of a Beginning

Aisha said it was the endless rain, Ambadi insisted it was the sea. In the course of their childish bickering, they embark on a quest to see the beginning of their village stream.

This film is a reflection of humanity's never-ending conflicts over ideas, believes and faiths. It also explores our constant search to find meanings and answers in life.

  • Balaram J
    Director
  • Balaram J
    Pre-visualisation
  • Renganaath Ravee
    Sound Design
  • Sreerag Saji
    Music
  • Balaram J
    Animation
  • Balaram J
    Background
  • Jeroy Joseph
    Compositing
  • Lijo Jose Pellissery
    Sponsor
  • National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad
    College
  • Balaram J
    Writer
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Oru Thudakkathinte Kadha
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Drama, Adventure
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 48 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 22, 2020
  • Country of Origin:
    India
  • Country of Filming:
    India
  • Language:
    Malayalam
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - National Institute of Design
Director Biography - Balaram J

Balaram J is a writer, designer and independent filmmaker from Kerala, India. He is a Communication Design graduate from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. He created animation for the visionary filmmaker Lijo Jose Pellissery's feature films Jallikattu (2019) and Churuli (2021). His thesis film 'Story of a beginning' (2020) talks about differences in beliefs and the importance of accepting them as they are. The film travelled to more than 40 international film festivals.

His stories are born from observing life around and personal experiences. He craves stories that make him a better human and he wishes to make films that do the same to others. He enjoys telling compelling stories using different visual mediums and hopes to push the limits of existing visual communication methods. Currently, he is working on a few short films, music videos and feature film scripts.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Story of a Beginning is a tale from my life. My friend and I did walk in search of the beginning of our village stream. When I started this film, there were various religious issues that were tormenting the country — and I wanted to do something about it in my work. When my childhood memory made connection with my adult-self conflict, the story of ‘Story of a beginning’ was born. It is the need of the hour that we learn to accept and make peace with differences in our opinions or beliefs.

To quote Khalil Gibran – ‘I am ignorant of absolute truth. But I am humble before my ignorance and therein lies my honour and my reward.’ For me, this is what the youngest kid in the stands for.

With mangoes, love apples and coconut trees, it is a story with all the local flavours of a scenic village in Kerala. The theme is universal, leaving the audience wide-eyed with interest, suspense and making them search for answers within themselves. The film’s three stars are as guileless as possible, and the audience cannot help but think about their own childhood.

Award-winning sound designer Renganaath Ravee and upcoming music composer Sreerag Saji add a soulful touch to the film. The technical assistance was provided by Eunoians Creative Studio, Kochi.