Bigg Boss Malayalam Season 1 fame Pearle Maaney recently made headlines after reportedly losing over 3 lakh followers for her post on the ongoing students' protest over the alleged NEET paper leak. Amid the backlash, the actress and television host turned off the comments section on her social media and later uploaded a clarification video on her YouTube channel. In the video, she read and explained each line of the post she had shared during the protest. Clarifying that she never meant to ask students to leave the protest and go home, Pearle said that all she wanted to convey was, "Just be safe."
After reading her post line by line, Pearle said, "I only remember posting this one post. After that, everything was okay for a while." She claimed that, after some time, people began interpreting her message in ways she had never imagined. Explaining what she had actually meant, Pearle said, "I'm not saying you should stop this and go home. First of all, I'm nobody to say that. I'm saying just be safe."
Pearle revealed that she had watched several videos of students being "beaten up and bleeding," and that her post stemmed from the "fear and pain" she felt after seeing those visuals. She then recalled the comment that hurt her the most, which read, "It was like spitting on the graves of freedom fighters."
The actress further claimed that people were not only making videos about her post but were also flooding the comments section of her social media. She admitted that she eventually lost her temper after seeing how her message was being interpreted.
Pearle then revealed that around 11 pm, she became angry and posted an Instagram Story, which she later deleted, in which she called the person behind one such interpretation a "failed filmmaker." Reflecting on the incident, she said, "That was a big mistake; I am nobody to call someone that, and it's not how my parents raised me. I apologise to him for saying that."
The actress also denied using a saffron-coloured background in her post because of any political affiliation. Explaining the process behind the design, she said, "I made it on Canva. I took a notepad template, typed the text, selected the Instagram post ratio, and posted it in the first format that came up."
Responding to the criticism over the saffron colour palette, Pearle added, "'Yes, I love saffron, and I love it the most in the Indian flag.' I said this and later deleted it, but by then everyone had already taken screenshots."
Pearle also clarified that her "failed filmmaker" remark was not directed at filmmaker Sibi Malayil. She said, "I am a huge fan of him and would never say anything like that. I don't understand how his name became a part of this controversy. If sir is watching this, I just want to say that I love you. I am one of your biggest fans." She went on to describe him as "one of the best directors" in Malayalam cinema.
Concluding the video, Pearle said she is not asking people to stop criticising her. She recalled the first day of shooting for Taste of Kerala, when her father advised her that she had become a public figure and would have to be more careful with her actions. She remembered him saying, "I can't always save you... Now you are public property. If you get into trouble, you'll have to deal with it yourself."
Pearle ended the video on an emotional note, saying, "I'll try to be a better human. I hope you will forgive me... I'm trying to be a better human. I hope you will understand what I am saying."
