The first Tamil film, "Keechaka Vadham," was released in 1918, marking the beginning of Tamil cinema. During this period, films were primarily mythological and devotional, with stories drawn from Hindu epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The 1920s and 1930s saw the rise of legendary filmmakers like Ellis Dungan and K. Ramnoth, who made films that were both entertaining and socially relevant.