The trailer of Kannada film Karavali introduces a Kambala-centric drama rooted in coastal Karnataka’s buffalo racing tradition. Spanning three decades, it follows Prajwal Devaraj’s early dominance and Raj B. Shetty’s later entry into the arena, hinting at revenge, power struggles and regional politics. Directed by Gurudatha Ganiga, the film releases worldwide on July 24.
The makers of the upcoming Kannada film Karavali, centred on the traditional coastal Karnataka buffalo race Kambala, released the film's trailer on July 7. The trailer hints at power struggles, a revenge arc and is centred around the world of Kambala. Karavali is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on July 24.
The trailer opens with Prajwal Devaraj's character dominating the Kambala race before the narrative jumps three decades forward, introducing Raj B. Shetty's character, who eventually competes in the same arena. While much of the plot is yet to be revealed, the trailer indicates a story involving societal conflict and regional politics set against the backdrop of Kambala, which has been a part of coastal Karnataka's cultural calendar for centuries.
The film also features Sampada in a key role, with the broader ensemble including Mitra, Ramesh Indira, Sushmita Bhat, Sridhar KS, Govinde Gowda and Niranjan. Karavali is written and directed by Gurudatha Ganiga. With story by Chandrashekhar Bandiyappa, the screenplay is written by Tejovrusha, Ravi Sriram, Kowshik Kooduraste, Gurudatha Ganiga.
The trailer launch saw a minor controversy when attendees claiming to be part of the Fans Association of Prajwal questioned that Prajwal Devaraj's voice in the film had been dubbed. Director Gurudatha Ganiga addressed the matter, explaining that it was a creative choice to use a dubbed voice to ensure the authenticity of the coastal dialect. “Since the movie is set in coastal Karnataka, the intonation and voice of all characters have to suit the region,” the director said.
The film is produced by Gurudatha Ganiga Films, with VK Films and Suram Movies as co-producers, and is presented by KVN Productions. The production house is the banner behind KGF: Chapter 1 and Chapter 2, Jana Nayagan and Toxic. Music is composed by Sachin Basrur, cinematography is by Abhimanyu Sadanandan and editing is by Pratheek Shetty.
Raj B. Shetty's latest Kannada-language projects include psychological-thriller Rakkasapuradhol (2026), family action drama Landlord (2026) and action fantasy 45 (2025). Shetty has also been announced as part of the cast of Seyon, Sivakarthikeyan's Tamil film produced by Kamal Haasan. Prajwal Devaraj's recent films include Rakshasa (2026) and Veeram. Karavali marks the first on-screen pairing of the two actors.
Karavali releases in theatres on July 24.