Bollywood actor Imran Khan has said controversial influencer Andrew Tate preys on vulnerable young boys seeking male role models and sells them a “simplistic male power fantasy”.

Imran credited his mother and the men in his family, including his uncle actor Aamir Khan, for shaping his views on respecting women.

Speaking on the Decoding Quirks podcast, Imran said many men are taught that happiness lies in material success but become vulnerable when those aspirations fail to bring fulfilment.

“Into this, there come people who are subverting these men. Andrew Tate is possibly one of the most famous of these. But there are men like these who are preying on vulnerable boys seeking male role models. They are seeking direction, and into this come these guys saying, I'll tell you how. And they sell these men a simplistic male power fantasy. Strong, show women their place, and thus you become a man. And in this vulnerable space, young boys believe these narratives,” the actor said.

Tate, a former kickboxer and online influencer, has courted controversy over his comments about women and masculinity. He and his brother Tristan Tate have faced criminal investigations in Romania and the UK over allegations including human trafficking, rape and forming an organised crime group. The brothers have denied all allegations against them.

Imran said he was fortunate to have positive role models in his family.

“I give credit to my mother, and the men in my life, my father and stepfather, my uncles Mansoor and Aamir. All of these men were positive male influences in my life. These are men who, for themselves, respected women and taught me the same. Not in a belittling way, in an actual, equitable, human way,” he said.

The 42-year-old actor, who made his debut with the 2008 film Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na, stepped away from acting in 2015. He recently returned to the screen with a cameo appearance in Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos, produced by Aamir Khan.