Tension prevailed near Karthi’s house in Chennai on Wednesday as hundreds staged an agitation protesting his role of a pickpocket named Rocket Raja in his forthcoming film ‘Siruthai’.

The agitators alleged that Rocket Raja is the name of a leader belonging to a caste outfit and naming the character after their leader was an attempt to defame him. They carried placards and raised slogans against Karthi.

They demanded that objectionable dialogues, if any, be removed from the movie and that the name of the character be changed. Following this, they were taken into custody by the police and security was tightened at Krishna Street in T Nagar, where Karthi resides.

Produced by Studio Green and directed by Siva, ‘Siruthai’ is a remake of Telugu blockbuster ‘Vikramarkudu’. The actor is playing a dual role for the first time, that of a petty thief and a police officer.