In The Beginning is the first episode in a series of 26 retelling a genuine South Indian folk epic. The story is about three generations of a pioneering family from an interior region. The tale contains myth, adventure, politics, gods, animals and more. Viewed on the surface The Legend of Ponnivala Series features male farmer-warriors, but underneath are two very strong women, a mother and a daughter who drive its core events in subtle and semi-magical ways. This first episode contains a creation myth, an exodus, an original sin, a basic social contract and the promise of the magical birth of a son. This animation is unique for its folk art and is the first regional, oral, Indian story of its kind to be animated.
—Anonymous