Raj Kapoor reportedly refused to visit China because of his weight gain

Did you know Bollywood's legendary actor Raj Kapoor couldn't face upsetting his fans due to his weight?

According to his son Randhir Kapoor, the star's films were widely popular in China, and when he was requested to visit the country, he refused. Raj’s reason? He had gained weight and thought that it might upset his fans to know he didn’t look like his younger, leaner self any longer.

"One day, he called me and said he got an invite to visit China because his films are very popular there and we all are going to China! He was very excited and so were we. While we were making arrangements, two days later he called me and said, ‘I am thinking, let's not go to China'. He said, 'They are in love with the Raj Kapoor of Awaara, Shree 420 and look at my size now! I don't look like that anymore'!" narrated Randhir.

Unlike his fans in China, Raj Kapoor's fans in Russia got to see him frequent their country.

"He said, 'Russia has been seeing me over the years in various sizes so they accept me even now, but I don't want to disappoint all my fans and break the image (in China). I am not the Raj Kapoor they think I am'," he added.

Before Aamir Khan, it was Raj Kapoor who was the king of Bollywood in China. "That was the actor in him speaking. He didn't go," said Randhir.

"All his life he never went to China. He is still very popular, his films are very popular. Now all our films are going there (China) but he was the pioneer who took our films there. But the actor in him didn't want to break the image."