New Delhi: Actor Aamir Khan, at an event in London on Thursday, said that his character Phunsukh Wangdu in the film 3 Idiots was not inspired by activist Sonam Wangchuk, calling it a “misconception.”
“I didn’t know about Mr Sonam at that time, when we were doing the film 3 Idiots. I know that I saw a video of Chatur (actor Omi Vaidya) just recently. He is wrong. Maybe that’s what Chatur was thinking. But I want to tell you neither director Rajkumar Hirani, nor writer Abhijat Joshi knew Wangchuk while making the film,” Khan said at the London Indian Film Festival event hosted by BFI.
His statement came after journalist Nabanita Sircar questioned him on Wangchuk’s ongoing hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi against the NEET question paper leak.
Khan denied any link between his character and the protesting activist.
However, Khan said the focus should be on Wangchuk’s health, as the activist’s indefinite fast enters its 20th day on 17 July. According to the actor, Wangchuk’s work did not need any connection with 3 Idiots for people to respect him.
“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 added.
For years, many have believed that 3 idiots’ character Phunsukh Wangdu was inspired by Wangchuk. This conversation recently resurfaced after US-based actor Omi Vaidya, who played Chatur in 3 Idiots, extended his support to Wangchuk.
Sharing pictures with the activists, Vaidya called him an “interesting” person, before adding that Phunsukh Wangdu had been based on him.
Ever since, social media has been questioning both Khan and filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani for not speaking up for Wangchuk. In his recent statement, Khan also claimed that Wangchuk himself has said in the past that the character is not about him.
During an appearance on Kaun Banega Crorepati in 2023, Wangchuk had said, “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 inspired or 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.”
The activist has been on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar led by Cockroach Janta Party, which began on 28 June. He is demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over the alleged NEET paper leak.
(Edited by Prashant Dixit)
The movie also doesn’t bear any resemblance to Five point someone. We all know this is an alternate universe