SRINAGAR: Bollywood actor Aamir Khan has dismissed the long-held belief that his character Phunsukh Wangdu (Rancho) in the 2009 blockbuster 3 Idiots was inspired by Ladakhi engineer and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk, while voicing strong support for Wangchuk’s ongoing hunger strike over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination.
Speaking during a question-and-answer session at the London Indian Film Festival after a screening of 3 Idiots, Khan said the film’s writers and he had no knowledge of Wangchuk while the movie was being developed.
“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 information about Sonam Wangchuk, and I did not know him personally,” Khan said.
The clarification comes after a video by actor Omi Vaidya, who played Chatur Ramalingam in the film, went viral on social media. In the video, Vaidya suggested that Rancho was based on Wangchuk and appealed for public attention to the activist’s worsening health during his fast.
Addressing the video, Khan said, “What Chatur (Omi Vaidya) said in the video is incorrect,” adding with a smile, “He is wrong.”
Khan stressed that Wangchuk’s work deserved recognition in its own right and did not require any association with the film.
“What Mr Sonam is doing is good work. He doesn’t have to be based on the character of 3 Idiots for us to respect him and the work that he does,” he said, noting that Wangchuk himself had previously clarified that the film’s protagonist was not based on him.
While distancing the film from Wangchuk’s life, Khan expressed concern over the activist’s health and joined growing calls for him to end his fast.
“I think all of us are very concerned for his health and life. We hope that he ends his fast and looks after his health,” he said.
Wangchuk, 59, has been on an indefinite hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar since June 28 after joining protests demanding accountability over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination, systemic education reforms and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Medical updates issued during the protest indicate that Wangchuk has lost more than nine kilograms since beginning the fast. Doctors have reported falling blood pressure and blood sugar levels, although they say he remains mentally alert.
His protest has drawn support from several public figures, including actors Zeenat Aman, Shabana Azmi, Sonakshi Sinha, Abhay Deol and Omi Vaidya, who have appealed for dialogue while expressing concern over his deteriorating health.
