NEW DELHI: Bollywood star Aamir Khan has long been a hate figure for India's Hindu far-right, but now they have a new line of attack -- his massive popularity in China.

Khan, 55, is a brand ambassador for Chinese smartphone maker Vivo, and is also major draw on the mainland with films such as "Dangal" (2016). He even has 1.16 million followers on China's Twitter-like platform Weibo.

But this week the hardline Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Hindu group put the actor on the cover of its magazine, calling him "The Dragon's favourite Khan", a reference to China.

Also criticising Khan's ties with Turkey -- which has slammed India over Kashmir -- the article said he was "forging friendships with those that are considered enemies of India".

"Aamir seems to be the favourite of the Chinese Communist Party system and the fact his movies are doing so well is an indication that he is being promoted by Chinese state," the editor of the weekly Hitesh Shankar told a news website.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has fanned growing hostility to China following a deadly clash on their disputed Himalayan border in June.—