Ruhaanika Dhawan, who became a familiar face on television as a child actor through Yeh Hai Mohabbatein, has opened up about an experience that shaped the way she viewed her body while growing up. The actor recently recalled gaining weight during the COVID-19 lockdown and facing comments about her appearance when she was only around 11 years old.
Speaking about the experience in an interview with Zoom, Ruhaanika said the remarks affected her because they came during a particularly young and formative stage of her life. She also reflected on how her fitness journey evolved over the years and why she is still learning to be kinder to herself.
Ruhaanika Dhawan recalls gaining weight during lockdown
Before the pandemic, Ruhaanika said she had an active lifestyle and was involved in competitive swimming. The sudden disruption caused by lockdown changed her daily routine considerably.
“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 during the interview.
The actor recalled that she was around 11 at the time and spent much of her day studying and eating while staying indoors.
“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,” she said.
For a child accustomed to regular physical activity, the abrupt change in routine had a noticeable impact on her relationship with fitness and her appearance.
How Ruhaanika started her fitness journey
Ruhaanika said her mother eventually encouraged her to become active again. She initially followed workout videos on YouTube and tried HIIT exercises before discovering martial arts.
Over time, exercise became a consistent part of her lifestyle. Rather than describing her transformation as the result of an extreme diet or intense short-term programme, Ruhaanika said she gradually made changes to both her food habits and physical activity.
She recalled reducing foods such as biscuits and sugary items while incorporating lighter meals and more protein into 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,” she said.
Ruhaanika added that she eventually lost the weight and has continued exercising and eating what she considers a cleaner diet.
“Now it’s been six years that I work out and I eat clean,” she said.
Body-shaming comments still affect her
While Ruhaanika has developed a long-term approach to fitness, she acknowledged that comments about her body have not simply disappeared from her mind.
She said the experience of being judged at a young age made her more conscious of her appearance.
“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,” Ruhaanika said.
Her comments highlight an important distinction between exercising for health and becoming conscious of one’s appearance because of outside criticism. In Ruhaanika’s case, an active lifestyle that began in childhood eventually became part of her routine, but the emotional impact of body-focused comments remained something she had to work through.
Ruhaanika Dhawan on Khatron Ke Khiladi 15
Ruhaanika’s comments come after her participation in Khatron Ke Khiladi 15, Rohit Shetty’s stunt-based reality show on Colors TV.
The season brought together a mix of television and entertainment personalities who competed in physically and mentally demanding challenges. Among the contestants were Karan Wahi, Rithvik Dhanjani, Rubina Dilaik, Farrhana Bhat, Vishal Singh, Harsh Gujral and others.
Avinash Mishra emerged as the winner of the season.
For Ruhaanika, her participation in a stunt-based show also reflects the athletic side of her personality that she has maintained since childhood. Her own account of her journey, however, suggests that her relationship with fitness is about more than appearance—it is also connected to discipline, sport and personal confidence.
Ruhaanika’s changing relationship with her body
Ruhaanika Dhawan’s story is also a reminder that body image can become complicated when comments about appearance begin at a young age. Her experience of lockdown weight gain was followed by a sustained interest in exercise, but she has acknowledged that becoming physically fitter did not automatically erase the emotional effect of earlier criticism.
Today, she says she is still learning to give herself more love. That perspective marks a shift from focusing solely on weight or appearance towards developing a healthier relationship with her body and self-image.
