Move over Martin: Dhruva Sarja’s dialogue from upcoming film Criminal worries netizens

Where is the Dhruva Sarja of films like Addhuri , Bahaddur and Bharjari ? That’s the question that netizens had after the Action Prince decided to give the crowd at the Hampi Utsava a sample of a dialogue from his upcoming film Criminal. The line that Dhruva says to the heroine Parvathy (Rachita Ram) roughly translates to ‘no matter how much you may hate me, Parvathy, I will marry you, because that is how much I love you. And if my love is betrayed, I swear on Goddess Yellavva that I will kill you’. Dhruva’s line is also peppered with some expletives, which, given the film’s north Karnataka setting are said to be commonplace.

What about Dhruva Sarja's dialogue's got the goat of netizens? 

A large section of netizens, though, appear to be appalled by this line from Criminal and wonder if it is an extension of the actor’s 2018 film Pogaru , which had received backlash for misogyny and promoting toxic masculinity. Physical intimidation was portrayed as romantic, which appears to be the case in Criminal as well. The lines in question also feature in the initial teaser that the team of Criminal had released.

Comments ranged from, “Who is he making these films for?” to “He could have been a big star from KFI, but is wasting his prime doing jathre movies”, “His downfall needs to be studied. From Bahaddur, Bharjari, Addhuri to Pogaru, Martin ,Criminal. The usage of such derogatory language in the movies is concerning for kfi..Why can't they just write some good dialogues man?”, “Bro still in 18-19 cringe era where tiktokers ruled wth these types of dialogues”, “He is single handedly destroying reputation of KFI outside Karnataka through his cringe Pan India films”, among others.

Also read: Dhruva Sarja-Rachita Ram combo Criminal announced; netizens say another jathre movie loading 

Criminal is Dhruva’s next after KD The Devil, which is slated for release on April 30, 2026. The film, directed by Rajguru of Kerebette fame, is said to be based on a true story. Netizens were initially excited about the pairing of Dhruva and Rachita, their first since Bharjari, but that was short-lived, after the teaser of Criminal came out. Dhruva’s latest performance isn’t helping the film’s cause either.

Criminal FAQs

Q. Who is Dhruva Sarja paired with in Criminal?

A. Dhruva Sarja is paired with his Bharjari co-star Rachita Ram in Criminal.

Q. Who is the director of the Kannada film Criminal?

A. The Kannada film Criminal is being directed by Rajguru of Kerebette fame.