I might have been a jew in my previous birth: Pearle

Every film is a learning experience, believes Pearle Maaney, and when it's a period film, it becomes an extensive lesson in history as well. The actress has such a film coming up, Kappiri Thuruthu, which explores Kochi of the last century.
It might seem like she's a familiar face for Malayalis but Pearle, who has just finished shooting for Sreesanth-starrer Team 5, calls herself an aspiring actress as she chats with us about her film experiences, views on gender and more'
Switching between two diametrically opposite roles was tricky
The set of Team 5 was jovial and casual, my character is that of Sreesanth's little sister.She is very lively and there are elements of Pearle in it but Yami, the Jewish girl in Kappiri Thuruthu, has nothing of me. She is quite a mellow girl. The shoot of both movies coincided at times and both were held at Fort Kochi! It was tricky to shift from one to the other.
I enjoyed working on both the movies but Kappiri Thuruthu will definitely be one of my favourites. As actors, we all like to test ourselves, if we can do certain scenes or not. This movie was one such challenge and I feel like I could use whatever I have learnt so far.
I might have been Yami in my previous birth!
Through the film I got to know a lot about real life stories surrounding Kochi, all of which the director dug up during his years of research. As part of the shoot, we visited the first Jewish church in Kerala, at Paravoor. It's not functional now but the experience of stepping inside it was something else. We also visited a rundown building in Fort Kochi which was originally a church, now a haunt of anti-socials. We shot outside it, it was night and doves were fluttering about since it didn't have a roof. But again I felt a vibration; a place of worship will always give a positive feel, I guess. Perhaps this weird affinity we feel towards a particular culture is a sign that we were born in it in a previous birth! I don't feel a connect with every character I do but with Yami, I felt one. Also, I thought speaking in the 50s and 60s dialects of Malayalam, that too in Kochi slang, would be difficult. But once I put on the make-up and costumes, it just came to me.
Our generation types LOL, but with no expression whatsoever
The film showcases a time when all communication was face-to-face. So the choice of words was important. The lines were so poetic you wonder if they are singing a song or reciting a poem, at times. The expressions might seem a bit exaggerated to us now but back then people communicated more through their eyes and body. Our generation is very passive; we type LOL with absolutely no expression. In that sense, period films are the need of the hour, I feel, for youngsters now to understand that such kind of a life existed at one point.
Working with senior actors is like being with family
I always thought new gen movies would be easier to work with, because so far I had never done a movie with senior actors such as Siddique sir. But after Kappiri Thuruthu which has many senior actors, I realised I was wrong. I felt so much at home; it was like staying with a big family. You learn a lot and also feel protected.
Siddique sir was very sweet and it was a favourite pastime on the set for Adil Ibrahim and me to listen to his stories. Even now, we three have a Whatsapp group called 'Ikka and us'. His stories would be about his days of struggle and they were really inspiring. I realised that no real star is born with a silver spoon. Rather, it's the struggle that makes you a star. We are going through tough phases in our career now so it's heartening to hear such stories. We all have our own definitions of success and call ourselves aspiring actors until we reach there. Evolution is a never ending process for an actor, as we can see in stars like Vikram and Lalettan.
I'm yet to fulfil my dream of doing a romance!
Actually none of these movies are the kind of romance I dream of doing, which showcases the kind of wild, crazy love like in Alaipayuthe and OK Kanmani.
Acting with Sreesanth was like going back to college
Sreesanth is a very chilled out person. He was like some of my friends at Christ College, Bangalore, where I studied. Acting with him felt like I was back in college. I became the 'Bangalore Pearle' with him, similarly with Adil who is also a cool person. Some men treat women as equals and these two are like that. I am always comfortable with such people.
I am not weak because i am a woman
I am so much more comfortable when I am considered as just another human being. I don't like people being overly considerate; if everyone is standing I too will stand. I feel uncomfortable if someone gives me a chair because I'm a woman. I'm not weak because I'm a woman. If I'm pregnant or old, then give me a chair. I'm not asking every woman to think that way but that's what I am. I don't want to enjoy the concessions of being a girl when fighting for gender equality. Enjoy the advantages that men enjoy and deal with the disadvantages as well!