The first Tamil film, "Keechaka Vadham," was released in 1918. However, it was the 1930s that marked the beginning of the Tamil film industry as we know it today. The 1950s and 1960s saw the rise of popular actors like K.B. Sundaram and Sivaji Ganesan, who became household names. The 1970s and 1980s witnessed the emergence of Rajinikanth, who would later become a cultural icon in Tamil Nadu.