Kannada actor Prajwal Devraj has opened up about why he did not attend the trailer launch event of his upcoming film Karavali. And to the speculation on why he didn’t, he said that ₹25 lakh of his remuneration is still pending and expressed disappointment at the way it is being handled by the film makers.

Prajwal stated that his decision not to attend the promotional event was not taken lightly. As far as he can hear, the producers had the time to resolve the payment issue before starting the film's promotional activities and although the release is still some time off, no discussion was taken about his remuneration.

The actor said that around ₹25 lakh remains unpaid which is part of the reason for not attending the trailer launch. He added that financial commitments made to actors should be honoured, especially before expecting them to participate in promotional activities.

Prajwal also expressed his disappointment on the trailer itself. He said he was not told his original voice was not used in the trailer and said it was something that should have been discussed with him before. From his point of view, these creative decisions of his performance were to be discussed with the production team and crew.

Prajwal said if the production team had approached him about the salary and changes to the trailer, he said, that might have been different. Because the film is still some time away from being released, he said there was enough time for the misunderstandings to be cleared up through dialogue.

As an actor, he said he always took professional work very seriously and expected the same from the makers. His absence from the trailer launch should not be interpreted as support of the movie but as a response to unresolved contractual and creative issues and to his own work, he said.

The controversy has caused some Kannada cinema fans to talk about it, and they hope both parties will resolve their differences before the film gets to theatres. The actor's supporters have called for fair treatment of artists, while others believe the conflict should be resolved privately so that the film’s promotion campaign doesn’t get affected.

Neither the producers of Karavali nor the production team has given a detailed public response to Prajwal Devraj's comments at the moment. Now the fans and industry analysts alike are waiting to know if the current remuneration issue will be resolved before the release of this movie.

Despite the dispute, Kannada moviegoers are still excited about Karavali. Industry insiders feel that the movie would be a lot better if the financial and creative clash can be resolved at the end of the day, and all parties involved in the film.

When the release date arrives, it is clear that all eyes will be on whether the makers and Prajwal Devraj can reach a mutual understanding, so that the promotion campaigns go along smoothly and the film is once again back to focusing on the film.