With her own house in Mumbai, a major life goal appears to have been ticked off the list for actor Ruhaanika Dhawan, and at the age of 15, no less! “People say I am very different from the generation. It is a nice compliment and I love seeing my parents proud,” gushes the Ye Hai Mohabatein star.

However, aware of the negative and stressful stream of competitive behaviour and toxic standards it might give rise to, Dhawan asserts: “I don’t think children should take any pressure at all. It’s okay. It did not happen overnight for me either. It took a long course of time to save all that money and make the purchase.”

Saving up for the much-talked-about purchase took the actor eight years, with her mother Dolly mapping out a financial plan for her. “No kid should feel pressurized. Being the older and wiser one, I invested systematically and it [wasn’t] just that she did a TV show and minted big money. With God’s will, things happened and it all worked out,” Dolly informs us.

Dhawan also addresses the ongoing criticism of her parents and allegations of child labour levelled at them. “I don’t really read comments because I know that if I do, I might get little upset. If you check my Instagram or YouTube, recording videos is my hobby,” she shares. Having said that, Dhawan says she really misses being on screen but she enjoys other activities. “I am doing it willingly and not being forced into anything,” she adds.

One wonders if she has plans for another big purchase in 2023. “I am being brutally honest, my money is over,” Dhawan quips, before adding, “The last year, my mother and I were looking for a house. We narrowed it down to two, but we could not find a house better than this. It feels amazing, especially in a city where even the smallest 1BHKs are so expensive.”