LANDMARKS IN TAMIL CINEMA

1912 - The first full-fledged Cinema Theatre in Chennai - Gaiety, is built.

1917 - R. Nataraja Mudaliar makes Keechaka Vadam - the first silent feature film to be made in Tamil Nadu.

1932 - The first Talkie in Tamil - Galavarishi, is made in Bombay.

1934 - The M K Thyagaraja Bhagavathar starrer Pavalakkodi kickstarts the trend of actor-singers belting out devotional and mythological songs by the dozens in each film.

1936 - Sathi Leelavathi features a small role for a young man named M G Ramachandran. He eventually becomes the first true mega-star on both the tinsel and the political platform in Tamil Nadu.

1936 - Miss Kamala, the first Tamil talkie to be directed by a woman, T.P.Rajalakshmi is released.

1941 - Another actor-singer arrives on the scene, with Dhayalan featuring P U Chinnappa in the lead.

1944 - M K Thyagaraja Bhagavathar continues to bring in the crowds to Theatres for what was to become the phenomenal 110-week run of Haridas.

1946 - A V Meiyappan establishes his film studio at Karaikudi. This studio moved to its present location at Vadapalani in 1948.

1949 - C.N. Annadurai writes the script of Velaikkari, which stands as a brilliant pathbreaker in Tamil dialogue writing.

1950 - M Karunanidhi's power-packed lines in the script for Paraasakthi are delivered by a young stage actor who bore the title of 'Sivaji' (given him by Periyar E V Ramasamy Naickar after watching his stage performance as Chatrapati Shivaji). Sivaji Ganesan goes on to become the greatest actor the country has produced.

1959 - C V Sridhar makes his directorial debut with Kalyana Parisu.

1960 - AVM's Kalathur Kannamma features a child artiste - Kamal Hassan, who has in the decades since, emerged as one of the most respected actors in the country.

1960 - The Institute of Film Technology is started at Taramani,Chennai

1964 - Server Sundaram, with story and screenplay adapted from the play by K Balachander, features comedian Nagesh in what was to become one of his most memorable roles.

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