Nawazuddin Siddiqui with his daughter Shora Siddiqui.

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui is known for his remarkable screen presence and a simple lifestyle. But there was an incident where he was shocked when his daughter asked him for a handbag during a visit to Dubai Mall. What surprised him even more was his own reaction. He knew the bag was far more expensive than what he would normally spend, felt it was a waste of money, but still could not refuse her.Speaking to CurlyTales host Kamiya Jani, Nawaz was asked whether he remains conscious about prices despite becoming one of India’s better-known actors. The question came while they were discussing his then upcoming movie and its tagline, “Everything comes at a cost.”

Nawaz recalled a shopping trip with his daughter, who lives in Dubai. She took him to Dubai Mall and told him she wanted a small bag. “She said, ‘Papa, I want a small bag for myself.’”“I thought it would cost around ₹15,000–₹20,000. I thought, okay, inflation has happened, so it will be ₹15,000–₹20,000, at most,” he said, adding that he assumed the higher price was simply because of inflation. But his daughter kept walking through the mall, taking him downstairs and then from one place to another.“I asked, ‘Where are you taking me? Where are you taking me?’” he said. “She took me downstairs, to the first or second floor, took me here and there, and finally stopped in front of a shop. She picked up a bag and said, ‘I want this bag,’” recalled Nawaz.Nawaz agreed. Then came the price. “When I asked her, ‘How much is it?’ she said, ‘It is ₹2.5 lakh.’ My heart burned so much, I cannot even tell you,” he said.The amount was particularly difficult for him to digest because of his own spending habits. “I have always been someone who buys bags for ₹2,000–₹3,000, or even ₹500–₹600. And look at what she is buying! I felt it was actually a waste of money,” he recalled.

He thought it was a waste but still bought it

Nawaz’s story also highlights a familiar parenting problem: knowing that a child’s demand is unreasonable and still finding it difficult to refuse it.

The interesting part of the story came when Kamiya asked him what he did after discovering the price. “You probably can say no to your son, but I couldn’t say no to my daughter,” Nawaz replied.That one line says more about parenting than the expensive handbag does. Parents often have different rules for children depending on the situation, but sometimes it just doesn’t matter. A father who may be comfortable setting a financial boundary can find himself negotiating with his own emotions when his daughter asks for something.Nawaz’s story also highlights a familiar parenting problem: knowing that a child’s demand is unreasonable and still finding it difficult to refuse it. There is nothing unusual about wanting to make a child happy. The problem begins when love quietly gets translated into spending.A ₹2.5 lakh handbag is obviously an extreme example, but the underlying situation is common. It could be an expensive phone, branded shoes, a holiday, a gaming console or a designer outfit. A child asks, a parent knows the price is excessive, and yet the final answer becomes “okay”.The difficult question for parents is not always, “Can I afford this?” It is often: “Should I buy this just because I can?”

Saying no does not mean loving your child less

Nawaz’s admission offers an unusually honest parenting lesson. Parents do not have to become strict about every rupee their children spend. But children need to understand that money has limits, even when the family can afford something. The first step is to separate the child's wish from the parent's guilt.If a child wants something expensive, parents can acknowledge the desire without immediately agreeing to it: “I understand that you really like it, but that doesn't mean we have to buy it.”

Don't make price the only lesson

Simply telling children that something is “too expensive” may not teach them much. A better approach is to make them think about what the money could otherwise do. For an older child, ₹2.5 lakh could become a conversation about priorities: Is this something you will use for years? Would you rather spend the same amount on several things? Is there a cheaper version that serves the same purpose?

Create a family rule for big purchases

Nawazuddin Siddiqui with his daughter, Shora Siddiqui.

One practical way to avoid emotional decisions is to have a rule before the child asks. For example, parents can decide that purchases above a certain amount require a 24-hour wait. No immediate buying, even if the child is excited and the parent can afford it. That small pause changes the conversation. The child gets time to decide whether the desire is genuine or simply the excitement of seeing something attractive in a shop.Parents can also give older children a fixed budget. If they want something beyond it, they can contribute part of the amount themselves or save towards it.Nawaz did not hide his reaction. He thought the bag was a waste of money. He compared it with the ₹500–₹3,000 bags he buys himself. Yet when it came to his daughter, he struggled to say no. That is perhaps the most relatable part of the story. Parenting is not just about teaching children how to spend money. It is also about recognising where our own emotions make us bend the rules.