Saurabh Dwivedi Trolled for Acting:Netflix’s newest crime drama Kartavya starring Saif Ali Khan has caused a lot of online buzz pretty much right after it dropped but somehow not everyone is being kind about it. Journalist-turned-actor Saurabh Dwivedi, for his acting debut, is currently getting heavy trolling on social media, and a bunch of viewers are calling out his screen presence plus the way he delivers dialogues, like it’s off or not landing.

This whole mess started almost immediately once Kartavya premiered on Netflix on May 15, 2026 . The film is directed by Pulkit and produced under Red Chillies Entertainment, it’s a gritty cop thriller and it also has a big ensemble, with Rasika Dugal and Sanjay Mishra included alongside Saif Ali Khan.

Saurabh Dwivedi Trolled for Acting

Right after the release, clips of Saurabh Dwivedi started to move around everywhere, across X, Instagram, and even Reddit. Multiple users mocked what they called his acting skills, and one viral reaction went like, “Even KRK could probably act better,” referencing the controversial critic Kamaal R Khan, who is also widely known as KRK.

Saurabh Dwivedi was a bad Journalist.

Now he became Actor.

He acted so bad, now people are saying he was better off as a Journalist.

His acting was so poor that they cut his Climax scene 😭

Even KRK could probably act better than him 😹 pic.twitter.com/AGTBYCsNq8

— Amit Kumar Sindhi (@AMIT_GUJJU) May 16, 2026

Also, earlier on, Reddit threads about the trailer had already shown doubt. People were basically asking whether a well-known journalist switching into mainstream acting, is actually a good match for such a tense crime drama.

Journalist Saurabh Dwivedi left journalism and moved to Bollywood.

He thought that by going into Bollywood, he would become a very big superstar.

But now his movie has released, and in it he looks like a copy of South Indian actor Brahmanandam.

Even Saurabh Dwivedi’s dialogue… pic.twitter.com/ecdxhxwomc

— Saffron Chargers (@SaffronChargers) May 16, 2026

However, some users defended Dwivedi, arguing that debut performances should not be judged too harshly and that social media outrage culture often exaggerates criticism.

Kartavya Release Time: When Saif Ali Khan’s Netflix Film Goes Live

Kartavya Overall Response

Despite the trolling aimed at Dwivedi, Kartavya itself has mostly been met with positive reactions by audiences and critics, like yeah, generally. The film’s grounded narration, darkish atmosphere , and Saif Ali Khan’s intense portrayal of a conflicted cop have been getting a lot of appreciation online.

From early audience reactions, it kinda looks like the movie avoids the usual formulaic Bollywood action drama template, instead it leans into a more realistic, and emotionally layered , way of telling things. A bunch of viewers even lined up Saif’s performance with the stuff he did in Sacred Games and Vikram Vedha.

Kartavya | Official Trailer | Saif Ali Khan, Rasika D, Sanjay M & Saurabh D | Pulkit
byu/TheLastDetective inBollyBlindsNGossip

Also, the Kartavya trailer was already making noise before release, especially because of its raw tone, plus the intense face offs that keep hitting back.

Saif Ali Khan’s Performance Wins Praise

While debate goes on over Saurabh Dwivedi’s acting, there’s one part that’s basically getting praise across the board, and that is Saif Ali Khan’s performance. Critics and fans alike have described his portrayal as restrained, realistic, and pretty emotionally gripping.

Recently the actor called Kartavya “a lovely piece” when talking about the film’s emotional weight and its storytelling approach.

This project also becomes another big OTT run for Saif Ali Khan, as he keeps building his name in the streaming space after strong work in dark thrillers and crime dramas.