Prajwal Devaraj (left) and Raj B Shetty in ‘Karavali’.
| Photo Credit: Anand Audio/YouTube
The trailer of Karavali, starring Prajwal Devaraj and Raj B Shetty in lead roles, has received rave reviews on social media. But hours before it was released on YouTube, the movie fell into a controversy. During the press meet to launch the trailer, a group of people, claiming to be part of the Fans Association of Prajwal, questioned the absence of the actor’s voice in the trailer. Prajwal hasn’t dubbed for the movie yet.Gurudatha Ganiga, the director of Karavali, explained to the members that it was a creative decision to use a dubbing artiste’s voice for Prajwal so that the “coastal dialect sounded accurate.” “Since the movie is set in coastal Karnataka, the intonation and voice of all characters have to suit the region,” he said.Reporters also raised eyebrows at Prajwal's absence from the trailer launch event. “We tried to contact him and his team till the last moment with little success,” said the director. The rift between Prajwal and the makers was apparent at the press conference. When quizzed if there was a misunderstanding between him and Prajwal over the actor’s remuneration, Ganiga, who has also produced Karavali, said, “We had agreed to make a payment of Rs 1.25 crore to Prajwal. We have paid Rs 1 crore, and we will pay the remaining amount soon,” he said.The media questioned the team whether casting Raj in the project caused an ego clash between the two noted actors. While the team denied any such developments, Raj explained his stance on the matter.“I just played a cameo in the movie. Before me, several other actors were approached for the role. If Karavali is a hit, then I will be the first person to feel happy for Prajwal. The film’s success will take his career to the next level and improve the overall health of the Kannada industry. There should be no question of ego and jealousy here.”The actor further said that the Kannada film industry must be democratic in its working process. “Many people wonder why the industry is struggling. It’s because we are not collaborative in our efforts. If an opportunity arises, I will have a conversation with Prajwal to sort this out.”Talking to television media, Prajwal said he had no problem with Raj being roped in for the movie. The actor maintained that he was upset about not receiving the full remuneration for the movie. “Also, I didn’t know that my voice was dubbed for the trailer. The team kept me in dark,” he said. It remains to be seen if the issue gets resolved before the film’s release on July 24, 2026.Meanwhile, Karavali promises to be an intense, rooted drama with stylised action sequences. The Kambala sport (high-speed buffalo race) is set to play an integral part in the story, which discusses the human-animal conflict. Sachin Basrur has composed the music for the movie, while Abhimanyu Sadanandan has done the cinematography. The movie is based on the story of Chandrashekar Bandiyappa.Pratheek Shetty has edited for the movie. Vinod Kumar, Shithil G. Poojary, and Sathish Kumar Raji are the co-producers of the movie. Backed by Gurudatha Ganiga Films, VK Films, and Suram Movies, Karavali also stars Sampada, Mithra, Sushmita Bhat, and Ramesh Indira also in prominent roles. Published - July 08, 2026 02:47 pm IST
