Aamir Khan's Big Comment On Sonam Wangchuk's Phunsukh Wangdu Connection
Aamir Khan clarified that his character from ‘3 Idiots’ was not based on Sonam Wangchuk, while extending support to the education reformer amid his ongoing hunger strike.
Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan has finally broken his silence on the long-standing belief that his iconic character Rancho, aka Phunsukh Wangdu, from the 2009 blockbuster ‘3 Idiots’ was based on the life of Ladakhi engineer, innovator, and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk. The actor addressed the misconception during a post-screening Q&A session at the British Film Institute (BFI) Southbank in London. Aamir was attending the closing gala of the 17th edition of the London Indian Film Festival (LIFF), making a special appearance for a screening of ‘Lagaan’ to celebrate the film's 25th anniversary.
When an audience member brought up the connection – in a video later shared on X by journalist Nabanita Sircar – Aamir firmly set the cinematic record straight.
“No. That's not true actually. That is a misconception. I didn't know about Mr Sonam at the time when we were doing the film 3 Idiots,” Aamir clarified.
The debate had recently resurfaced, leading to immense social media pressure on Aamir Khan, after actor Omi Vaidya – who memorably played Chatur Ramalingam – released a viral video backing Sonam Wangchuk's ongoing protest.
In his video, Omi said, “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.” He passionately added, “I don't want Phunsukh Wangdu to die and I don't think you want him to either.”
Addressing his co-star's viral appeal with a smile, Aamir remarked, “What Chatur (Omi Vaidya) said in the video is incorrect.” He went on to explain, “Maybe that is what Chatur was thinking, but I want to tell you that neither Raju nor Abhijat (director Rajkumar Hirani or writer 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.”
Aamir further said, “In fact, Mr Sonam himself has said that the character is not based on him. He has also clarified.”
Indeed, Sonam Wangchuk has previously distanced himself from the big-screen adaptation. During a past appearance on ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’, Wangchuk stated, “If you say inspired, then I won't deny it. A lot of people say the film is based on me, but I don't agree with that. The right word is that it may have been influenced. At the same time, I don't want people in this country to accept something simply because it is associated with a film. So even if the film is influenced by me, I am not very proud of it. And if it is not inspired by me, I don't regret it either.”
Speaking at a Josh Talks event, Sonam Wangchuk also recalled meeting Aamir at a CNN-IBN awards ceremony in 2008. “I told him, 'Can you make a film on the tension in Siachen, where countries are fighting over a piece of ice while spending nearly Rs 7 crore every day? Can we show that ordinary people from both countries solve the problem and that money is instead used for education?'” Aamir reportedly listened with interest and watched an audio-visual presentation of Wangchuk's work.
Sonam Wangchuk then travelled to France to study Earth Architecture, and a year later, ‘3 Idiots’ released. He revealed that a film crew had visited his school but kept the project under wraps. Because the crew planned to bring a lot of plastic material, the school refused permission, prompting them to shoot at a nearby location instead. Wangchuk intentionally waited until the legal period for claiming compensation expired – partly to avoid appearing as though he wanted money during the makers' separate story-credit controversy with author Chetan Bhagat. “I wrote a letter to the makers, explaining how I met Aamir Khan before the film was made. They never replied. Nor do I expect them to. I have better things to do in life,” Wangchuk had revealed.
While Aamir shut down the rumours, he extended strong moral support to the reformer, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike at Delhi's Jantar Mantar since June 28. “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 stated.
Now in its 19th day and having crossed the two-week mark, the fast has taken a severe toll. Sonam Wangchuk has reportedly lost 8 to 9 kilograms, with doctors raising widespread alarm over his plummeting blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
Sonam Wangchuk joined the protest launched by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), founded by Abhijeet Dipke, initially sparked by the massive NEET-UG paper leak controversy. The movement has since escalated into a demand for long-overdue systemic educational reforms and accountability to safeguard students' futures. The protesters have unveiled a five-point roadmap for overhauling competitive exams and are calling for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Despite growing concerns, Sonam Wangchuk has refused to eat, instead urging supporters to join a peaceful “Chalo Sansad” march to Parliament on July 20, coinciding with the beginning of the Monsoon Session. His movement has garnered significant backing from Bollywood figures, including Abhay Deol, Swara Bhasker, Anurag Kashyap, Sonakshi Sinha, Atul Kulkarni, Sayaji Shinde, Shreya Dhanwanthary, and Prakash Raj.
In other news to delight fans of the original film, recent reports suggested that Aamir Khan and Rajkumar Hirani are actively working on a ‘3 Idiots’ sequel, with principal photography slated to begin in late 2026.
