Actress Khushi Dubey has spoken candidly about her role in the new web series 'Service Girl', which takes on the rising menace of AI-powered cybercrime and its devastating impact on women in India. The series premiered on 30 July on Hungama OTT, addressing a crisis that has claimed lives and shattered reputations.

The Character and Her Story

Dubey plays Divya, a young woman from a modest background who marries early and finds her life upended when an unknown perpetrator uses artificial intelligence to fabricate a bold, false version of her online. The deepfake content destroys her standing in her community, and no one believes her denials.

'I play the role of Divya, a simple girl who gets married at an early age and whose life is turned upside down by cybercrime,' Dubey said. 'Using AI, someone creates a fake, bold version of her, which damages her reputation in society. No one believes her when she says that it isn't really her.'

A Crisis Beyond the Screen

Dubey did not frame the show as mere drama — she described it as a mirror held up to a real and urgent problem. 'We often hear about such incidents in the news, and sadly, many young women have even taken their own lives because of these horrific cybercrimes,' she said. 'It is a very serious issue. This web series sheds light on this sensitive subject and shows how my character fights back and overcomes this ordeal.'

This comes amid growing alarm in India over non-consensual deepfake content targeting women, with law enforcement agencies and digital rights groups flagging a sharp rise in such cases in recent years.

Drawing from Real Life in Prayagraj

The 'Aankh Micholi' actress, who hails from Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, said her own background helped her inhabit the character authentically. 'I am from Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, and I have seen many women like Divya in real life. That helped me understand the character better, from the way they wear a saree and do their makeup to their body language,' she noted.

That lived familiarity, she said, gave her a performance-oriented role with a challenging character arc — an opportunity she welcomed. 'The fact that this show revolves around a very serious, sensitive topic and had a very performance-oriented role with a challenging character graph, it was a great way to showcase it through my lens on the screen,' Dubey added.

Cast and Platform

Alongside Dubey, 'Service Girl' stars Mallobika Banerji and Nishad Vaidya. The series is now streaming on Hungama OTT. Dubey expressed hope that audiences would connect with the show's message: 'I hope the audience enjoys the show and connects with its powerful message.'