EXCLUSIVE: Khushi Dubey SLAMS Pay Disparity, Admits She Never Faced This; Says, “We’ve Entered 2026, Its Funny”

Television actress Khushi Dubey has steadily carved a space for herself with unconventional roles across television and OTT. Best known for playing Chikki Chauhan in Gul Khan’s romantic thriller series Aashiqana, the actress has managed to connect strongly with younger audiences through shows that move beyond the typical saas-bahu format. In an exclusive conversation with Bollywood Bubble, Khushi opened up about being stereotyped due to her TV background, the challenges female actors face on sets and the ongoing conversation around pay disparity in the industry. Scroll on to know what the actress had to share.

Khushi Dubey SLAMS Pay Disparity In The Industry

When asked if she had ever been stereotyped in Bollywood because of her television background, Khushi Dubey admitted that fortunately, her projects have mostly remained unconventional. She shared, “Stereotype toh nahi, because mere by chance jo mere shows rahe hain na, wo thode se saas-bahu wale type ke rahe hi nahi hai kabhi bhi. They have been very unconventional. Aashiqana mein toh chalo, it was a web series, but baaki shows bhi jo the, whether it is Jubilee Talkies, whether it is Jadoo Teri Nazar, and anything, they have not… and I don’t even want to get into that zone, that family drama zone for now. Because I am exploring myself as an actor.”

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The actress further reflected on how demanding the profession can be for women. Talking about the physical and mental effort that goes into long shoots, she explained, “Haan lekin ladkiyon ke liye bahut tough hota hai. It’s a very different mehnat for them. You know, it’s a very different thing for them to shoot because also pehli baat toh costume wearing. That whatever lehenga and anything, ya going to a party, going to an event for a few hours versus shooting for that for 12 hours. Bahut different cheez ho jaati hai. And you can’t even look tired. You have to look decked up.”

Khushi Dubey Reflects On How Cleanliness Matters In Outdoor Shoots

Khushi also pointed out that outdoor shoots and constant costume changes often become far more exhausting for female actors than audiences realise. Sharing her perspective, she said, “Plus for females I think for outdoor shoots also, like I am having a lot of OCD for cleanliness and yeh sab, toh mujhe main kahin pe bhi nahi ruk sakti hoon. I mean, I really have a lot of OCD towards cleanliness. Toh mujhe lagta hai females ke liye ek wo cheez bhi bahut badi ho jaati hai, jo ki mujhe lagta hai it’s not there that much in the case of males. For changing, for anything, even the dress changes that you have between the scenes. Bahut different cheez hoti hai. Toh woh on-screen ka mehnat toh alag hai, off-screen ek alag rehta hai.”

Khushi On Female Fandoms

Apart from the work itself, the actress also spoke about how female actors need to earn acceptance and respect from audiences in a different way. Khushi candidly shared, “And also mujhe yeh bhi lagta hai ki female fans jo hoti hain… mujhe kaafi din se yeh baat karni thi, but maine ki nahi thi. Matlab in terms of fandom also, I know there are a lot of female fans that they really love heroines. But you know, because female fans hi zyada hain in comparison to male fans, toh kahin na kahin you have to also earn their love and respect. So haan, thoda bahut yeh bhi hai.”

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Khushi On Pay Disparity In The Industry

During the interaction, Khushi also addressed the topic of pay disparity in the entertainment industry. Speaking about the need for change, the actress said, “I mean, it depends. It depends on your star value at that time. I think male aur female wala abhi filhaal mere saath toh aisa nahi hua ki mujhe kam de rahe hain ya I am dissatisfied or something. But I am sure hota hai. Films mein toh bahut hota hai, and we have it on paper that bahut hota hai. And I think that should be… that gap should be filled now.”

The Aashiqana actress added, “You know, in cheezon mein mujhe lagta hai ki if you are getting such great actors and females like Alia Bhatt, Vidya Balan ma’am, Tabu ma’am, Radhika Apte, Deepika ma’am, Priyanka Chopra, for that matter, I think they should… We have entered 2026, and we still have that pay difference. It’s funny, you know.”

Watch Full Interview Here:

Following her breakthrough success as Chikki Chauhan in Aashiqana, Khushi Dubey has continued expanding her career across multiple platforms. She recently played the lead role of Gauri in Jaadu Teri Nazar alongside Zayn Ibad Khan. The actress was also seen in Jubilee Talkies and Aankh Micholi, while she now gears up for larger cinematic projects, including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and One Two Cha Cha Chaa, marking an important new phase in her acting journey.

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Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Khushi Dubey Reflects On Growing Up Infront Of Camera; Says, “I’ve Seen A Drastic Change In My Personality”

Varsha Tiwari

Varsha Tiwari is a budding content writer passionate about Bollywood, pop culture, and the stories behind the spotlight. She enjoys breaking down trends, celebrity moments, and film narratives into engaging, reader-friendly content. Always curious and observant, she is currently pursuing a Master’s in Communication and Journalism. Outside of writing, she enjoys painting because storytelling doesn’t always need words to make an impact.