Diana Silvester can easily be classified as a pioneering force behind the revolution that triggered a sea change in the look and feel of the entertainment pattern of the Malayalam television industry. The comedy series, Cinemala, conceived and directed by her for Asianet channel, went on to become the biggest hit ever and the program is perhaps as old as the channel itself. After the completion of her Master’s degree in Media Communications, majoring in Television Production from Governors State University, Chicago in 1993 (she left the U.S. the very next day after her final exams), Diana joined Asianet before its launch. Diana shares her thoughts and decades-old tryst with the entertainment industry with Brand Kerala.
“The first four programs of Asianet were directed by me. Also, Cinemala which commenced telecast during the launch of the channel was produced by me and it was in the air without a break for 20 years. It was actually the first sponsored program of Asianet,” recollects Diana. I was told to conceptualize a new program based on 10 Malayalam films, so I came up with this idea of creating a new one by stripping comedy clips and comedy anchoring. Praseetha who later became actress anchored the first show of Cinemala. It may sound very easy now, but way back in 1993 it was a novel idea, (at that time there were only programs showing film songs). It was later anchored by Dileep, Kalpana Salim Kumar, Prem Kumar, etc who became superstars or comedians. Slowly it turned out to be a political and social satirical program with a team and attained the highest TRP ratings”.
Cinemala was the first program to feature figures of politicians and it became the first cartoon strip on visual media. Also, it was the first satirical program aired in Malayalam directed by a female. Diana holds the universal record for the most number of programs directed by a female on television. Also, this has found a place in Limca Book of Records for the longest weekly program telecast in India.
“Directing Cinemala was very tough and challenging, and shooting in advance was impossible in those days. Sometimes we had to change the whole script in the last minute to accommodate certain current issues. Everything from writing the script, casting, location, etc was challenging and could not be planned prior. Comedy is a delicate topic and the toughest to implement. You cannot guarantee the after-effects, as many factors are involved in it. Even a good joke could be ineffective due to the failure in properly delivering it. I have done many programs but none of them were tough as Cinemala. Man channels tried to copy this program but they didn’t last for even 20 episodes. We need patience and hard work to create a program like this” says Diana.
Diana is happy that she could bring many talented artists to the limelight. She had the backup of a brilliant team to support and implement her ideas. The team which stood with her for longest period featured Harisree Martin, Saju Kodiyan, Ramesh Kurumassery, Tini Tom, Subi Suresh, Reghu Kalamassery, Jayaraj, etc.. Major directors of Mollywood like Joshy, Siddique, Kamal, Ranjith, and Sathyan Anthikad had complimented her for the concept and implementation of the project.
Diana remembers actor Jagath Sreekumar calling her once with words of appreciation after watching an episode. Each and every issue of our society were dealt with in Cinemala,” she explains, “I have had the opportunity to interact with different types of people including those in toddy shops, drunkards, thugs, etc., but I never faced any kind of problem what so ever. Actor Mammooty was a regular viewer of Cinemala. Almost all artists of the Malayalam Film Industry have appreciated me for this program and that’s the greatest reward one can get. Even now I get that special respect as the producer of Cinemala”.
Diana is now the Assistant Vice President of Asianet and heads the production team in Kochi. She has won 218 awards so far and 190 of them were for Cinemala.
“At present, I am directing the program Badai Bungalow in Asianet. It was started in 2013 as soon as I completed 1000 episodes of Cinemala. It is an adaptation of a Hindi show. We decided to fix Ramesh Pisharody as the anchor since he is famous for his spontaneous wits. We needed another person who is equally talented and I could think of none other than actor Mukesh. All artists in Badai Bungalow except Arya and Mukesh are from Cinemala. Mukesh is the backbone of the show and I’m amazed at his quick wit and spontaneity. He is a well-grounded person and a genuine artist. Compared to Cinemala, Badai Bungalow is easy to shoot. It’s not related to current affairs or social issues. Everything is planned before the shoot starts,” clarifies Diana.
As the producer, Diana was very close to the artists in Cinemala. They all had an opportunity to interact with each other, but when it comes to Badai Bungalow, it’s all a set pattern. “I have seen the growth of many artists who came to work in my programs and a very few of them show the courtesy to remember their pasts, maybe because of the instant stardom. I feel the artists of yesteryears are more grounded. Their politeness, hard work, and struggles stand out compared to the new generation artists, who take everything for granted.”
Diana has also proved her mettle in documentaries which were all recognized internationally. ‘The Living Martyrs of the Spy Scandal’ and ‘Mirza Ghalib’ were two of them. She explains, “The latter was shot by me with my own camera and it got premiered in many Film Festivals. But my most favorite one is the documentary on Mehboob, the legendary singer from Cochin. This documentary is close to my heart, and I shot it with utmost sincerity. He was my father’s close friend and it was my father’s wish to do a documentary on him.
Acting has been a passion for Diana. Her comedy roles in dramas and skits during college days helped her bag many Best Actor awards. “My ambition was to become a football player and a drummer. I won many university prizes for percussion instruments and we had a band at St. Theresa’s College. I owe all my success to the Almighty and the support given by my family comprising of art and sports lovers.
My father was an engineer and a football player. He was a member of the amateur comedy theatre group, called ‘Tip Top Arts’ at Cochin; they used to have rehearsals at home, it was from that moment I started observing the art of doing comedy and its timing. My mother Amy is a retired bank employee, a writer, a good singer and a lover of arts. She is now actively involved in church activities and directs small plays for functions in the church. My brother Roger, who is in Australia, is a drummer, a singer and also an athlete and my sister Riana, who works as a teacher in a special school called Raksha, is a Kathak dancer and she is involved in motivating arts and learning skills for special children. My son Rohan is more into sports; he is a football player and a drummer. My family members are my best critics. Even now I don’t have the guts to watch my programs along with them; I will watch when I am sure that it’s 99% well” she quips.
