Aamir Khan clears the air: ‘3 Idiots’ not based on Sonam Wangchuk, what ‘Chatur’ said is ‘incorrect’

Moreover, even as concerns about Wangchuk’s health rose in the country, as his hunger strike entered the 20th day, actor Omi Vaidya—who played Chatur Ramalingam in the blockbuster 3 Idiots, took to social media to write: “I don’t want Phunsukh Wangdu to die”.

Now, after all these years, Bollywood actor Aamir Khan has finally cleared the air. Speaking at the London Indian Film Festival (LIFF), Khan firmly denied that his character, Phunsukh Wangdu (Rancho), the quirky, brilliant and fun-loving student, was based on the life of Ladakhi engineer, innovator and education reformer Wangchuk.

No link to ‘3 Idiots’

During a post-screening Q&A session at LIFF, Khan addressed the long-standing rumour: “There is a misconception that 3 Idiots was based on Sonam Wangchuk’s life. That is not true. When the film was being written, we had no knowledge of Sonam Wangchuk and his existence, and I did not know him personally.”

Khan emphasised that Wangchuk’s real-life achievements stand entirely on their own merit, adding that his work “doesn’t have to be based on a character of 3 Idiots for us to respect him.”

Also read: Ground Report: Why Wangchuk’s fellow organisers can’t convince him to stop

Addressing his former co-star Chatur’s statement too, Khan simply noted, “What Chatur (Omi Vaidya) said in the video is incorrect”.

Aamir Khan backs Wangchuk

While correcting the factual record, the actor extended his staunch moral support to Wangchuk, and was concerned about his rapidly failing health.

“Having said that, the work Sonam Wangchuk is doing is absolutely right,” Khan stated, highlighting the urgency of the situation. “He is on a hunger strike, and many people feel he should end it now because his health is deteriorating.”

Not Phunsukh Wangdu, says Wangchuk

Wangchuk who began his strike on June 28, after joining the Cockroach Janata Party, is demanding education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over the alleged irregularities in the NEET exam.

Back in time when 3 Idiots was released, in a Josh Talks session, Wangchuk had said, “I am troubled because people constantly ask me, ‘Is your school the one shown in 3 Idiots? Are you Phunsukh Wangdu?’ I want to clarify: No, I am not Phunsukh Wangdu. I am Sonam Wangchuk. I don’t work in films, I work in real life. I work on innovations that can go from India to the world and make our country proud.”

Kiran Rao extends support

Meanwhile, even as Bollywood stars like Sonakshi Sinha, Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Abhay Deol, Atul Kulkarni, Zeenat Aman, have come out in support of Wangchuk, filmmaker Kiran Rao has urged the government to “enter into a dialogue with the protestors”.

Rao shared a picture of Wangchuk on her Instagram handle on Thursday, which read “I support Sonam” and said it is distressing to “witness the complete silence” despite his hunger strike.

“I stand in solidarity with Sonam Wangchuk, Abhijeet Dipke, the CJP, and all the citizens of this country, young and old, who are protesting for the rights of our students. My salaams to Sonam ji, Neha, Maneesh, Ameen and all the others for undertaking a hunger strike to make sure that justice is served. Our nation is indebted to you for shaking us out of our apathy and reminding us that every voice counts,” she wrote.

“It is so distressing to witness the complete silence that this hunger strike has been met with, even after 19 days. What will it take for those in power to listen to the people?… it is shocking and inhumane. “I urge the government to enter into a dialogue with the protestors, to understand the pain of the students, and end this impasse. We the people have a right to be heard,” she added.