Actor Aamir Khan has finally broken his silence on educator and activist Sonam Wangchuk’s indefinite hunger strike. The actor addressed the long-standing belief that his character Rancho in 3 Idiots was based on Sonam Wangchuk, clarifying that this was not the case. However, Aamir said he is deeply concerned about Sonam Wangchuk’s health and expressed hope that he would call off his fast soon.
Aamir Khan speaks up
On Thursday, Aamir closed the London Indian Film Festival with a special appearance for the screening of Lagaan. The film was showcased as LIFF’s closing‑night highlight, with Aamir attending a post‑screening conversation reflecting on the film’s legacy 25 years after release. The actor also answered audience questions during the session.
During the conversation, Aamir was asked about Sonam Wangchuk, whose life is widely believed to have inspired his character, Rancho, in the blockbuster 3 Idiots. The discussion also touched upon Sonam Wangchuk’s ongoing indefinite hunger strike, with the actor being asked to share his thoughts on the issue.
Talking about Sonam Wangchuk inspiring 3 Idiots, Aamir said, “No, that is not true actually. That is a misconception. I didn’t know about Mr Sonam at that time when we were doing the film, 3 Idiots. I saw a video of Chatur just recently, and he said that. But he is wrong. Maybe that is what Chatur was thinking, but I want to tell you that neither Raju nor Abhijat (Rajkumar Hirani or Abhijat Joshi), who are the two writers, we didn’t know about Mr Sonam. However, 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”
Following this, Aamir was asked about the growing concerns surrounding Sonam Wangchuk’s health as he continues his indefinite hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.
“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,” Aamir said.
Earlier this week, Omi Vaidya, best known for playing Chatur Ramalingam in 3 Idiots, extended his support to Sonam Wangchuk. In a video shared on social media, Omi reminded people that Aamir Khan’s character Funsukh Wangdu was inspired by Sonam Wangchuk’s life and urged everyone to pay attention to his declining health and the cause he is fighting for.
“Did you know that Funsukh 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. 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,” Omi said, adding, “I don’t want Phunsukh Wangdu to die and I don’t think you want him to either”.
More about Sonam Wangchuk’s protest
Sonam Wangchuk, the Ladakh-based engineer, education reformer and innovator has been observing an indefinite hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar since June 28. He joined the protest launched by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), founded by Abhijeet Dipke, which began over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak but has now grown into a larger movement demanding accountability and long-overdue reforms in India’s examination system.
The protesters are calling for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation and have also unveiled a five-point roadmap to overhaul the way competitive exams are conducted. Nineteen days into his indefinite fast, Sonam Wangchuk’s health has become increasingly fragile. Even as concern over his health grows, Sonam Wangchuk has refused to end his fast. Instead, he has asked people not to urge him to eat, but to join the peaceful “Chalo Sansad” march to Parliament on July 20, when the Monsoon Session begins, and stand with the larger fight for examination reforms.
The movement has also found backing from Abhay Deol, Swara Bhasker, Anurag Kashyap, Sonakshi Sinha, Atul Kulkarni, Sayaji Shinde, Shreya Dhanwanthary and Prakash Raj.