Chak De! Indian star Vidya Malavade's witty response to fake electricity calls highlights growing risks of digital scams

Actress Vidya Malavade, best known as the captain of the women’s hockey team in Chak De! India alerted to a suspicious phone call involving an alleged threat to cut off electricity.

Chak De! Indian actress Vidya Malavade is raising awareness about scam calls

In a recent Instagram shoot, the actress is seen receiving a call from someone claiming that her power will be cut even though her electricity bill has been paid.

The caller allegedly insists that she download an app that will fix the problem. Rather than give in to the pressure, Vidya responds with a stinging remark, “I’d rather make do with a candle than risk emptying my bank account!”

While it’s unclear whether the call was genuine or staged for the sake of the video, the situation does reflect a type of warning that consumers should take seriously.

Fraudsters can impersonate Electricity Department employees and use threats of immediate disconnection to force people to follow instructions without verifying them.

How power cut scams can work

Unexpected calls about unpaid bills can cause concern, especially when the caller claims that the power will be cut off in a short time. Such pressure can make people act quickly without checking whether the request is legitimate.

Requests to download unknown apps are another reason to be cautious. Depending on the application and the permissions granted, fraudsters may attempt to gain access to sensitive information or abuse remote access features to compromise the victim’s device and financial accounts.

Consumers should verify outstanding bill or disconnection claims directly with their electricity provider through their official website, customer service number or authorized payment channels. They should avoid clicking on unknown links, downloading apps at the caller’s request, or sharing bank details, passwords and one-time passwords.

Vidya’s answer clarifies the issue simply. A possible power outage may be inconvenient, but acting in a panic could put someone at much greater financial risk.

Vidya Malavade Work Front

Vidya shot to fame with the 2007 sports drama Chak De! India, starring Shah Rukh Khan. She played Vidya Sharma, the goalkeeper and captain of the Indian women’s hockey team, in the film, which remains one of her best-known projects.

She has since appeared in films including Abduction (2008), Striker (2010), 1920: Evil Returns (2012) and Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobaara! (2013). Her later credits include Koi Jaane Na (2021), Starfish (2023) and Ruslaan (2024).

On streaming platforms, she has appeared in series such as Netflix’s Mismatched, as well as Inside Edge, Flesh and Dr. Arora.

Her recent film drew attention to a practical issue beyond her acting career: the importance of verifying urgent financial or service-related requests before responding to them.