When it comes to traveling, Pearle Maaney does not go en route the easy way but rather lives and rides her own way.

Ruminant in Ruins

A dawn in an intense indigo flows through her saree, belted by a silver horizon. Her smoky eyes capture it all, like the shadows cast across the colonnade. The morning resonates with the delicate sound of the tasseled metallic bells on her chain and the music from the hall of pillars. The light shines on her intricate silver jewelry, handcrafted like the pillars of granite. Standing tall, they have watchful lions that have seen the reign of the Vijayanagara Empire. The kingdom that grew along the banks of the Tungabhadra reflects the strength of Dravidian architecture.

In Line with Symmetry

The Vijayanagara Kingdom was in contact with many cultures, employing different architectural languages. The region has temples that explored the Dravidian style and palaces that took to the Islamic one. The art of ikat on her saree follows the line of the decorative arches that had seen royal entourages. Traditional crafts take a contemporary turn, magnified by the canary yellow blouse. In a Pushkarani or a stepped well, the pleats of her saree lay stacked as the stone slabs of the steps. The magenta rippled seamlessly like the water in the tank, a sacred commodity.

Prowess in Structure

Her mudra focuses her inner goddess, draped in black and vermillion -a stance frozen in time with the carved friezes of the Dravidian temple gateway. Like the stepped shikhara reaching for the heavens, she stands tall, enclosing a sacred notion in the sanctum. She leaves the Maya behind as she moves around the Pradakshinapatha through the series of spaces that connect to the Garbagriha. The geometric patterns of the handwork reflect the geometry of the built form. Her feet adorned with Ghungroos bring together an era that celebrated art and culture.

I have a vivid recollection of catching her on TV the first time. It was a chat show and here was a young lady who was beautiful in a very unconventional way; Curly, untamed hair, a child-like face and above all a demeanor that had the stamp of confidence.

As she pulled one antic after another, I could sense that she was not goofing around like it seemed but had a clear idea as to what she was up to. In fact, she gave me the impression of being in control. At this point, I have to make it clear that I am not he regular fanboying kind, not one bit. But here I was intrigued by this woman. I had to swing into action and I did. Taking aid of every fan’s primary tool, Google, I found out a few things about this woman with a strange name, Pearle Maaney.

Cut to three years later, here I was sitting right across a table with Pearle Maaney. Three years had changed quite a few things. For one, the intrigue, I thought had left me. But Pearle Maaney by now had become a household name in Kerala and the Malayalakara adored her.

Giving a Hoot

I was advised to make this a fun interview, something to go with Pearle’s persona. Not being exactly the fun guy, I was somehow hoping to employ my rather sloppy sense of humor to churn out something that could be passed off as fun. But secretly I was wishing the interview had happened at Hampi where the pictures were shot. I wanted it to be with her amidst the majestic ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire, having a conversation with the Indian princess, the pictures of who left us spellbound. I plainly wanted it to be profound and honestly gave two hoots about fun. But no, here I was at a café in Kochi, trying to pull off a fun interview and disastrously failing at it.
Pearle was dressed in a bohemian jacket and looked like a dream. I attacked her with a few regular questions and she gave me long, patient answers. Then we generally got talking and somewhere between the proceedings of the interview, the conversation started getting serious, philosophical even. No, it was not I who pushed her towards it; it has she who led the way. I being a sucker for stories wanted to hear of her about her all the way from her childhood. And she being the natural conversationalist, readily obliged. Right from her childhood obsession with bikes, the good old days of Road Rash to her college days in Christ College and her foray into stardom, she told me stories of everything.

Pearle Maaney is a polymath. I don’t care if that is an old-fashioned word, but that suits her best. She has played multiple roles and her talents are many. She has been an RJ, a DJ, a VJ, a dancer, a singer, an actor, even an activist. But during the conversation, I discovered another facet of hers; that of a dreamer, a visionary. I thought this was the aspect that fuelled her and made her who she was. As the discussions moved into media, society, and violence the society, she made it clear that what we sowed was what we reaped. “We cannot expect a reformed society when all that we feed it is violence.” I thought it all totaled up, the Hampi shoot, her bohemian attire and the timeless wisdom that she spoke about.

The Good, Bad and the Ugly

She has never been ashamed of her failures rather she is proud of the fact that she has overcome them. We know of the Pearle who is confident and sure of herself. But she says she has had her hard times, her doubting moments too. A dark time when she doubted herself and was finding it difficult to recoup from falls. She tells me that it was with a conscious effort that she got out of that pit. But she also gives credit to many people that she has met in her life for changing her and above all her hero, her dad.

She also had a gem of a tale about accepting criticism. She recently faced a lot of flak for something that apparently was considered outrageous by many. The internet went absolutely vicious on her. But she chose to look at the scathing attacks on her as a sign of the love that people had for her. “I chose to color all the reactions that I got with love and ended up getting more love in return. That’s how the Law of Attraction works for me.” So, where would I see Pearle Maaney a few years down the line, I wanted to know. She laughs. “Everywhere, anywhere. I am carving my own path. I shall find my own destinations.” Peace, love and music to you, Pearle!

 

Model: Pearle Maaney

Photographs by Sanu Mohammed

Design & Styling: Soha Sukku

Makeup: Renju Renjimar

Image Manipulation: Zuhair Sait

Location: Hampi, Karnataka

Words by FWD Media