Journalist turned actor Saurabh Dwivedi has found himself at the epicenter of relentless online ridicule after his screen debut in Kartavya.the recently released crime thriller led by Saif Ali Khan. Although the project initially generated a lot of buzz due to its heavyweight lineup and production backing, public discourse unexpectedly veered away from the plot, focusing instead on Dwivedi’s performance and an Instagram upload by actor Rajpal Yadav.
Netizens have spent days analyzing Dwivedi’s performance, with a wave of viewers criticizing his vocal delivery and rigid body language. On
Saurabh Dwivedi’s acting debut draws criticism
Directed by director Pulkit and backed by Red Chillies Entertainment, Kartavia features Dwivedi as an influential and shady antagonist intertwined with a high-profile homicide investigation headed by Saif Ali Khan’s police officer. Netizens complained that Dwivedi simply imported the same calculated cadence and way of speaking that he uses in his standard interviews. His facial reactions and monologues quickly became internet memes, with multiple clips of scenes spread widely across video platforms.
Rajpal Yadav’s Instagram post draws attention
An unexpected social media post by Rajpal Yadav added significant fuel to the internet theories. On May 19, 2026, the veteran actor posted a series of images on Instagram, in which he appears lounging in an ornate royal maharaja-style armchair. It didn’t take long for observant users to directly link it to a very similar chair linked to Dwivedi’s villainous character in the film. Speculation immediately rose that Yadav was quietly attacking the journalist-turned-actor.
Although Rajpal refrained from tagging Dwivedi or explicitly naming the Netflix project, the perfect timing of the upload led the internet to collectively read between the lines. Interestingly, the underlying tension between Rajpal Yadav and Saurabh Dwivedi arises from a moment months before the film’s release.
The moment of the awards ceremony that resurfaced online
The friction dates back to the Chetak Screen Awards 2026, where Dwivedi was the presenter. During one segment, Rajpal was given the microphone to discuss macroscopic issues such as international instability and volatile global financial currencies. Dwivedi suddenly interrupted him, inserting a sarcastic jibe referencing the actor’s much-publicized financial debts.
Saurabh Dwivedi intervened on the stage and said, “Rajpal bhai, no matter how much the dollar and rupee fluctuate, aapko utne hi paise lautane padenge jitne udhaar hain.”
While the audience inside the auditorium burst into laughter, Rajpal opted for absolute composure. Maintaining a calm smile, the actor simply replied, “Masla toh sunn lo ek baar. Main toh masla hi sunana chahta hoon.”
When that specific clip from the awards show started trending again along with the release of the film, many netizens criticized Dwivedi for weaponizing Rajpal’s real-life financial and legal struggles for cheap live entertainment.
Rajpal Yadav check bounce case explained
Rajpal Yadav allegedly acquired a business loan worth $5 crore from a Delhi-based company, Murali Projects Pvt. Limited. Ltd., to fund his 2012 directorial project, Ata Pata Laapata. When the film failed at the box office, it triggered a huge payment crisis. In 2018, Rajpal and his wife, Radha, faced conviction under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act after a series of paychecks were repeatedly dishonored.
The actor finally served a six-month simple prison sentence. Due to penalties and interest accumulated over more than a decade, the initial liability skyrocketed from $5 crores to an estimate $9 crores. Legal records indicate that Rajpal earned approximately $75 lakh through demand drafts in October 2025, although a substantial portion of the principal debt was allegedly still outstanding. In February 2026, the actor surrendered before the Tihar jail administration to serve his remaining legal sentence before being released.
What is Kartavya about?
Kartavia made its digital debut on Netflix on May 15, 2026. The slow-burn crime narrative centers on Pawan (Saif Ali Khan), an upright and uncompromising law enforcement officer who finds himself handling a volatile murder case after a prominent journalist is shot dead while under his direct protection. As Pawan unravels the threads of the crime, he runs headlong into a deep-rooted web of systemic corruption and elite political influence, all while trying to protect his immediate family from violent dangers and retaliation.
The gritty drama also stars Rasika Dugal, Sanjay Mishra, Zakir Hussain and Manish Chaudhari.