Indian actor Aamir Khan clarified that his character Rancho, also known as Phunsukh Wangdu, in 3 Idiots was not inspired by activist and engineer Sonam Wangchuk, who is currently on an indefinite hunger strike.
Khan addressed the rumours at the London Indian Film Festival. Speaking to the media, he said that the character he portrayed in 3 Idiots had no connection to Wangchuk.
According to Gulf News, Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike since June 28, raising concerns about his deteriorating health. The activist joined a protest led by the Cockroach Janata Party, which initially began over an alleged paper leak. However, the movement expanded, demanding accountability in the country’s education system. Wangchuk is continuing his protest to demand educational reforms and the resignation of the education minister.
Speaking at the event, Khan set the record straight. “This is a misconception. I didn’t know about Mr Sonam at that time when we were doing the film, 3 Idiots.” The actor added that the writers of the film, Rajkumar Hirani and Abhijat Joshi, also didn’t know about Wangchuk.
Regardless of any perceived connection to 3 Idiots, Khan stated that Wangchuk’s work deserved recognition. “What Mr Sonam is doing is good work in any case. He doesn’t have to be based on a character of 3 Idiots for us to respect him and the work that he does. I wanted to share this from a factual point of view,” he said.
Khan also expressed concern over the activist’s health as his hunger strike continues. “All of us are very concerned for his health and his life. We hope it ends well. All of us are hoping that he ends his fast,” he stated.
According to Gulf News, Khan’s remarks came days after his 3 Idiots co-star Omi Vaidya, who played Chatur in the film, voiced his support for Wangchuk and claimed that Khan’s character in the film had been based on the activist. “Did you know that Phunsukh Wangdu from 3 Idiots is actually based on a real-life Ladakhi engineer, innovator, educator and reformer named Sonam Wangchuk? I’ve met this guy. He’s a pretty interesting character,” Vaidya said.
He had also urged the public to pay attention to Wangchuk’s deteriorating condition. “Right now he is on a very long hunger strike. His blood sugar has gone down very much. I don’t know if you’ve heard about this. I don’t know if the media is reporting this. But this is a pretty important thing,” Vaidya said, adding, “I don’t want Phunsukh Wangdu to die and I don’t think you want him to either.”
