From influencer Ankush Bahuguna’s 40-hour digital-arrest ordeal to the recent AI-generated deepfake video featuring Janhvi Kapoor, digital deception is becoming an increasingly urgent concern in India. While one highlights the threat of cyber fraud and financial exploitation, the other exposes how artificial intelligence can be misused to manipulate images and violate personal boundariess. As such incidents bring the darker side of technology into the spotlight, Indian entertainment has also been exploring these themes through gripping dramas, thrillers and docuseries. From phishing networks to financial scams and AI-driven manipulation, here are Indian shows and films that shed light on the many faces of digital deception.
*1. Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story*
Based on the 1992 securities scam, Scam 1992 follows the rise and fall of stockbroker Harshad Mehta, who rose to prominence in Mumbai’s stock market before becoming embroiled in one of India’s most infamous financial scandals. Starring Pratik Gandhi and directed by Hansal Mehta, the series explores banking loopholes, financial transactions and media investigations that brought the scandal into the public eye. Adapted from The Scam: Who Won, Who Lost, Who Got Away by journalists Sucheta Dalal and Debashis Basu, the series offers a glimpse into the complexities of financial markets and the consequences of exploiting systemic gaps. The story also serves as a reminder that scams can thrive when people and institutions fail to question systems they trust.
Where to Watch: Sony LIV
*2. CTRL*
Starring Ananya Panday and Vihaan Samat, CTRL follows an influencer who turns to an AI application to erase her ex-boyfriend from her digital life, only to discover that the technology has a far more sinister agenda. Directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, the Netflix thriller explores how personal data, AI tools and growing dependence on technology can be exploited to manipulate people. While the film is not based on a specific real-life scam, its themes of digital surveillance, data misuse and online manipulation resonate with growing concerns around cybercrime and deepfake technology.
Where to Watch: Netflix
*3. Scam 2003: The Telgi Story*
Moving from the stock market to counterfeit documents, Scam 2003: The Telgi Story chronicles Abdul Karim Telgi’s stamp paper counterfeiting operation. Starring Gagan Dev Riar, the series traces how the racket expanded into a vast network by exploiting weaknesses in the stamp paper system. Based on journalist Sanjay Singh’s book Telgi Scam: Reporter’s Diary, the show explores the scale of the operation and the network that enabled it to grow into a major financial scandal. Much like modern digital frauds, the Telgi scam demonstrates how criminal networks can exploit institutional vulnerabilities at scale.
Where to Watch: Sony LIV
*4. Jamtara: Sabka Number Ayega*
Shifting the focus from large financial institutions to everyday phone users, Jamtara: Sabka Number Ayega explores phishing scams associated with Jamtara, a town in Jharkhand widely linked with online fraud. The crime drama follows young men who use phone calls to trick unsuspecting people into revealing sensitive banking information. It examines social engineering, impersonation and how personal information can be misused for financial gain. In an era of fraudulent calls and digital-arrest scams, Jamtara feels particularly relevant, showing how an ordinary phone call can become a tool for deception.
Where to Watch: Netflix
*5. Bad Boy Billionaires: India*
This documentary series examines controversies and allegations surrounding prominent Indian business figures, including Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Subrata Roy. Through archival footage, interviews and investigative storytelling, it explores the rise of powerful business empires and the legal and financial controversies that followed. Rather than focusing on one particular scam, the series examines the wider world of corporate ambition, alleged financial misconduct and accountability, offering a look at the consequences that can follow when business success becomes entangled with controversy.
Where to Watch: Netflix
