The controversy surrounding Karavali has taken a legal turn, with Upparpete Police, Karnataka, registering a case against individuals who allegedly claimed to be actor Prajwal Devaraj's fans and created a disturbance during the film's trailer launch. Ironically, Prajwal made more headlines for skipping the event than the trailer itself. The actor has maintained that he did not dub for the film because his remuneration was pending.
Directed by Gurudatha Ganiga and produced by Ganiga Films, in association with VK Films and Suram Movies, Karavali also stars Raj B Shetty, Mithra, Sampada, and others in key roles.
Prajwal's absence from the trailer launch sparked a heated exchange at the press meet, where a group claiming to be his fans allegedly disrupted the proceedings. The incident quickly triggered debate across the Kannada film industry. Based on a complaint filed by the film's executive producer, Ankit, Upparpete Police have registered a case against Dileep, Avinash, and Nandakumar.
According to the complaint, the accused deliberately arrived at the venue, assembled as a group, disrupted the event, abused the director, producer and others present using offensive language, and allegedly issued threats. The case has been registered under Sections 352, 292 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The complaint further alleges that the disruption was linked to financial disagreements between Prajwal Devaraj and the production team. It claims that those who identified themselves as the actor's fans were not genuine fans but individuals who had worked closely with him, including people who allegedly served as his assistants during the making of Karavali. Police are investigating these allegations, with reports suggesting that preliminary evidence indicates some of Prajwal's assistants attended the event posing as fans.
Meanwhile, Prajwal has reiterated that he refused to dub for the film because his remuneration had not been cleared. Consequently, the trailer was released with another artist dubbing for his character. The actor has also said that this was the reason he chose to skip the trailer launch. Director Gurudatha Ganiga, however, has presented his version of events. With both sides standing by their claims, the controversy is now the subject of an ongoing police investigation.
