Actor, television host and social media influencer Pearle Maaney has seen a sharp drop in her social media following after her remarks on the recent student protests at the Jantar Mantar sparked widespread backlash online. The controversy later escalated into a public spat with filmmaker Sibi Malayil's son, Joe.
According to the latest figures, Pearle has lost more than three lakh followers on Instagram in just two days. While she had around 5.7 million followers when she shared her statement on July 24, her follower count has since fallen to about 5.4 million. Reports also suggest that her YouTube and Facebook accounts have witnessed a decline in followers during the same period.
The row began after Pearle shared a lengthy Instagram post reacting to the student protests, describing the developments as "painful" and "heartbreaking". While expressing support for the students' demand for a fair education system, she urged them to prioritise their safety. "Please don't get hurt. Please stay safe. If your life is in danger, go back home. No cause is worth losing a life over," she wrote.
She also expressed hope that the movement's original objective would not be overshadowed as it grew larger. However, many social media users accused her of downplaying the students' demands and criticised what they viewed as an overly neutral stance. As criticism mounted, Pearle disabled comments on the post, retaining the caption, "The comments section is a reflection of my Freedom of Speech."
The backlash intensified after the actor shared an Instagram Story targeting a "failed filmmaker" who had criticised her statement and later deleted it. Without naming anyone, Pearle accused the person of turning her "four-page post" into a "10-page script" by adding "chilli powder and ajinomoto". She also responded to comments involving her two daughters before ending the post by writing, "My favourite colour is saffron! I think I love it the most on our Indian flag."
The filmmaker was later identified by Joe Malayil as his father, veteran Malayalam filmmaker Sibi Malayil. Responding through Instagram Stories, Joe criticised Pearle for making the issue personal and launched a strongly worded attack. He had earlier described her advice asking students to return home as "peak stupidity" in a separate post criticising her stance.
Although Pearle deleted the Instagram Story, the criticism continued, with users flooding the comments sections of her older Instagram posts. Many also pointed to her declining follower count as a reflection of the public response to the controversy. The actor has not issued any fresh statement since deleting the Instagram Story.
