PUTERI Balqis gained fame as a talented child actress. Her performances were so compelling and moving, that fans dubbed her the "princess of tears".
But growing up in the limelight has been hard for her as netizens often scrutinised her every move with extensive criticism — from the way she dresses to her introverted demeanour.
Fondly known as Aqish, the mature-for-her-age teen, who turns 17 next month, shocked people when she revealed what she went through while growing up in a podcast on the Bros Gang TV channel on YouTube.
Far removed from the glamour and glitz of showbiz, she expressed her alleged bitter experiences that included being sexually harassed and neglected by her father.
The only child in her family, Puteri Balqis now lives with her mother, Norashikin Mohd Aziz, and she had to deal with slanderous accusations against the latter, too.
On top of that, she also said she had to battle illness as she was previously reported to be suffering from heart problems before her mother confirmed that she had cancer.
All this has left a negative impact on her as the young actress said she found it hard to trust people and tends to keep quiet about things.
Aside from her passion for acting, Puteri Balqis has developed an equal love for writing, in which she pours out her emotions and thoughts to cope with what she has gone through.
"I am continuing my interest in writing. God willing, I will release a second book written together with my mother this year.
"It's about my life and includes lots of things related to the trauma that I went through.
"This second book is packed with more stories that I want to share. I can say that my life is quite calm now because I try to find my happiness.
"My mother is the one who is always by my side no matter what happens.
"I also have many good friends who always support me, so I am very grateful for their loyalty," she said.
Puteri Balqis has won two Anugerah Skrin awards for acting in 2012 and 2014.
Her crowning achievement came when she won "Best Actress in a Lead Role" at the Asian Television Awards in Singapore in 2014 for her role in the moving TV3 telemovie entitled Balqis.
She was 7 at the time.
The actress is currently seen in the drama series 'Terlanjur Cinta' on Viu.
Puteri Balqis said playing the main role of Aishah made a deep impression on her.
Her character is a girl who is willing to marry an older man for the sake of her family.
"Playing Aishah made me feel sad even though filming had wrapped up a few months ago.
"Making sacrifices for the family is close to my heart," she said.
She admitted to being uncomfortable with stories about girls who marry young.
"I'm a soft-hearted person. So, when I see individuals getting married young, I feel like this is akin to picking a flower that has not yet bloomed.
"This 'innocent' person can be traumatised because people like this are easily deceived and it is difficult to live in this kind of situation.
"It's really painful for them. So, for those who go through this phase of life, I love you.
"You have a pure soul, so stay strong," she said.
The drama, directed by Izuan Mokhtar, also stars Syafiq Kyle, Syafie Naswip, Syafi Tee, Khir Rahman, and Datin Seri Umie Aida.