Aamir Khan denies 3 Idiots was inspired by Sonam Wangchuk, voices concern over hunger strike: 'Hope it ends soon'

Aamir Khan has weighed in on a debate that has followed 3 Idiots for years, and his answer may surprise fans who have long assumed that his character Rancho was inspired by educator and activist Sonam Wangchuk.

The actor has now clarified that the widely repeated connection is not factual. But while Aamir has dismissed the idea that Sonam Wangchuk inspired the character, he emphasised that he is deeply concerned about the activist's health as his indefinite hunger strike continues.

Sonam Wangchuk has been on hunger strike since June 28, with concerns growing over his deteriorating health.

Aamir addressed the debate during a special appearance at the London Indian Film Festival on Thursday, as quoted by Hindustan Times.

The actor attended a screening of Lagaan, which served as the festival's closing-night highlight, before taking part in a post-screening conversation about the film's legacy, 25 years after its release. During the session, he also answered questions from the audience.

One question turned to Sonam Wangchuk, whose life has often been linked to the character of Rancho, played by Aamir in the blockbuster 3 Idiots. The conversation also touched on Wangchuk's ongoing hunger strike and the concerns surrounding his health.

Aamir was asked whether Sonam Wangchuk had inspired the character. He 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”

Aamir then addressed the issue that has become increasingly urgent: Sonam Wangchuk's health.

Asked about the activist's indefinite fast at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, the actor said:

“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.

Aamir's comments come days after Omi Vaidya, who played the memorable Chatur Ramalingam in 3 Idiots, also spoke out in support of Sonam Wangchuk.

In a video shared on social media, Omi described Wangchuk as the real-life figure believed to have inspired Funsukh Wangdu and urged people to pay attention to his worsening health and the cause behind his protest.

“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”.

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 a protest launched by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), founded by Abhijeet Dipke. The demonstration initially began over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak but has since expanded into a wider movement demanding accountability and reforms in India's examination system.

The protesters are calling for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation and have also presented a five-point roadmap aimed at overhauling the country's competitive examination system.

Nineteen days into his indefinite fast, concern over Sonam Wangchuk's health has continued to grow. However, he has refused to call off the protest. 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 support the wider campaign for examination reforms.