Prajwal Devaraj's dubbed voice triggers fan backlash at Karavali trailer launch

What was meant to be a celebratory trailer launch for the upcoming Kannada film Karavali, turned into an uncomfortable affair after a section of actor Prajwal Devaraj's fans staged a protest, alleging that the actor had been sidelined both in the trailer and at the event on Tuesday.The trailer launch, held in Bengaluru on Tuesday, witnessed an unexpected disruption shortly after the trailer was unveiled. Fans questioned why Prajwal, who plays one of the lead roles alongside Raj B Shetty, Sampada and Sushmitha Bhat in the film directed by Gurudatha Ganiga, did not have his own voice in the trailer and why he was absent from the launch alongside the rest of the cast and crew.Addressing the controversy, director Gurudatha Ganiga said, "I personally don't have an issue with Prajwal Devaraj.

Until last night, his team had confirmed that he would be present at the trailer launch, but they called and cancelled at the last moment."Explaining why another voice was used for Prajwal's character in the trailer, the director said the decision was driven purely by the film's creative requirements. "The film is set in the Karavali region, where the coastal dialect or accent are integral to the story. During the editing process, we felt that his voice and intonation did not blend seamlessly with the linguistic tone we were aiming for.

We discussed this with him and informed him that we would have another artist dub for his character, something he was fully aware of.

"Gurudatha further claimed that despite informing Prajwal about the dubbing decision, communication between them had broken down in recent weeks. He also alleged that several of those who disrupted the event were known to him. "The fans who came down to create chaos today are people I have met before, and many of them are from Prajwal's team.

We were surprised by their behaviour, especially since they had told us they wanted to attend and be part of the event," he said.Despite the controversy, the director maintained that the makers are still open to retaining Prajwal's original voice if it aligns with the film's creative vision. "We still have the option of dubbing it with his original voice, provided it suits the requirements of the film, and we are open to doing that," he added.Cinema is much bigger than me: Raj B ShettyResponding to questions about whether there were any differences between him and Prajwal Devaraj, actor Raj B Shetty, who plays a pivotal cameo in Karavali, dismissed any suggestion of rivalry and expressed disappointment that the controversy had overshadowed the film. "I am playing an important role in the film—a cameo. From the posters to the trailer, Prajwal has always been presented as the lead, and I have been fully aware of that ever since I signed the film," he said.

Raj stressed that he has never been concerned about prominence or screen space. "I was not even the first choice for this role. I came on board after several bigger actors turned it down. I am not here to compete with anyone; I am here to make cinema. I am a technician first, and I understand the collective effort that goes into making a film. Cinema is much bigger than me. Whether my name is highlighted or not has never mattered to me.

It is unfortunate that this is what we are discussing today instead of the film," he added.