The early days of Tamil cinema saw the production of silent films, with the first Tamil film, "Keechaka Vadham," being released in 1918. The talkies arrived in 1931 with the release of "Ardeshir Irani's Alam Ara," which marked the beginning of a new era in Tamil cinema. The 1950s and 1960s saw the rise of legendary actors like K.B. Sundarambal, T.R. Sundaram, and Sivaji Ganesan, who became synonymous with Tamil cinema.
