Chennai: Actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) chief Kamal Haasan lost his cool during a party meeting in Alwarpet, Chennai, on Saturday, when a group of men presented him with a golden sword on stage, causing brief chaos that prompted police intervention.

A video of the incident has gone viral, showing Haasan initially smiling and accepting the sword, surrounded by party workers trying to pose with him. However, the situation quickly turned uncomfortable for the Rajya Sabha MP, who became visibly irritated as one man persistently urged him to pose while holding the weapon.

Despite his evident discomfort, Haasan momentarily looked up for a photo but then sternly gestured at the man, instructing him to put the sword down. A police officer then stepped in and took control of the situation, removing the sword from the stage. The man, however, shook hands with Haasan and struck a pose before security personnel escorted him away.

The incident occurred while Kamal Haasan was interacting with MNM cadres during an internal party event in the city.

Surrounded by controversy over Kannada remarks:

This public appearance comes at a time when Haasan is facing backlash in Karnataka over his controversial remarks about the Kannada language.

The controversy stems from the audio launch of his upcoming film Thug Life, where Haasan stated that Kannada originated from Tamil a comment that sparked widespread anger in Karnataka. Several political leaders and the Karnataka Film Chamber demanded an apology, which Haasan refused to offer.

On Friday, the Karnataka High Court noted that Haasan has not retracted or apologised for his statement and directed the film's producer to respond to a plea filed by the Kannada Sahitya Parishat. The Parishat sought to intervene in the case to ban the film’s statewide release, citing damage to Kannada linguistic and cultural sentiments.

In response to the backlash, the release of Thug Life was withheld in Karnataka on June 5, the day it premiered globally.