Ruhaanika Dhawan, who rose to fame as a child actor with TV show Yeh Hai Mohabbatein, has spoken about a side of growing up that she rarely discusses publicly. The actor was just 11 when she gained weight during the lockdown and started hearing comments about her body. She recently opened up about that phase, her fitness journey and the way her relationship with her body has changed over the years.
Ruhaanika Dhawan on body-shaming comments
In an interview with Zoom, Ruhaanika said the comments affected her, especially because they came at a time when she was still very young. Before the lockdown, she had a busy routine that included professional swimming and competitions. That suddenly changed when the pandemic forced everyone indoors.
“If I’m being honest, anything with my body early does bother me because I used to be… I did gain weight in lockdown,” Ruhaanika said, explaining that she was only around 11 at the time. “I have always been an active kid. I was very… pre-lockdown, I was doing swimming professionally, like competing and everything. I think I was only 11 years old. Of course, we were bored. Our online classes happened. There was nothing… I was eating, I was studying, I was eating, I was studying.”
How lockdown changed her routine
Her mother later encouraged her to become active again. Ruhaanika started by following workout videos on YouTube and doing HIIT exercises. She eventually found martial arts, which became a more permanent part of her routine. Ruhaanika said she gradually changed both her diet and exercise habits rather than relying on extreme measures. She cut down on biscuits and sugary foods and started including lighter meals and more protein in her diet.
“I discovered where I worked out for one hour a day, doing these exercises. Then I switched to martial arts, which is a sport that I still have on now. I lost all the weight, but I did it clean. Now it’s been six years that I work out and I eat clean. But it did make me conscious about my body. Comments on my body still… I feel a little bad about, but I’m learning to give more love to myself,” she said.
About Khatron Ke Khiladi 15
Ruhaanika recently participated in Rohit Shetty’s Khatron Ke Khiladi 15. The Colors TV reality show brought together celebrity contestants for a series of challenging stunts filmed in a foreign location. Avinash Mishra eventually emerged as the winner of the season.
The series had older and newer contestants including Karan Wahi, Rithvik Dhanjani, Rubina Dilaik, Farrhana Bhat, Vishal Singh, Harsh Gujral and more.