Journalist turned actor Saurabh Dwivedi has become the center of online trolling after making his acting debut in the Netflix crime thriller Kartavya. The series stars Saif Ali Khan in the lead role and was expected to create buzz because of its strong cast and production team. However, instead of the story, social media users have been focusing mostly on Dwivedi’s performance.
Many viewers criticized his acting style, saying his dialogue delivery and expressions looked stiff and unnatural. Several users on X compared his scenes to a television news debate, joking that he sounded exactly like he does during interviews as a journalist. Clips from the show quickly turned into memes and spread widely online.
Directed by Pulkit and produced by Red Chillies Entertainment, Kartavya features Dwivedi as a powerful and suspicious man connected to a major murder investigation. Saif Ali Khan plays a police officer trying to solve the case while dealing with corruption and political pressure. The show also stars Rasika Dugal, Sanjay Mishra, Zakir Hussain, and Manish Chaudhari. The series premiered on Netflix on May 15, 2026.
The controversy grew bigger after a social media post by veteran actor Rajpal Yadav. On May 19, Rajpal shared pictures on Instagram where he was sitting on a royal style chair. Fans quickly noticed that the chair looked very similar to the one used by Dwivedi’s character in Kartavya. This led many users to believe Rajpal was indirectly mocking him.
The tension between Rajpal Yadav and Saurabh Dwivedi reportedly goes back to the Chetak Screen Awards 2026. During the event, Dwivedi was hosting the show while Rajpal was speaking about global issues. Dwivedi interrupted him with a joke about the actor’s financial troubles, saying that no matter how much the dollar and rupee fluctuate, Rajpal would still have to repay his debts. While the audience laughed, Rajpal stayed calm and responded politely.
As old clips from the award show resurfaced online, many users criticized Dwivedi for making fun of Rajpal’s personal and legal struggles. Fans on social media are now divided, with some defending Dwivedi while others continue trolling him over both the controversy and his acting debut.