Aamir Khan has responded to the online discussion surrounding his silence on activist Sonam Wangchuk's ongoing hunger strike at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, clarifying a long-standing belief about 3 Idiots while expressing concern for the activist's health.
The debate gathered pace after Aamir's 3 Idiots co-star Omi Vaidya, who portrayed Chatur in the film, publicly backed Wangchuk. Speaking at a recent event, Aamir rejected the widely circulated claim that the film's lead character, Phunsukh Wangdu, was inspired by Wangchuk. He said neither he, director Rajkumar Hirani nor writer Abhijat Joshi knew Wangchuk when the film was being made. At the same time, he said he hoped Wangchuk would end his fast and take care of his health.
During an interaction at the British Film Institute (BFI), Aamir was asked about Wangchuk and his indefinite hunger strike. The question referenced 3 Idiots, noting that many people believed the film had been inspired by the activist. Aamir dismissed that perception, saying the character had no connection to Wangchuk.
The actor said, “No, that’s not true, actually. That is a misconception. I didn’t know about Mr Sonam Wangchuk at that time when we were doing the film. I know that, I saw a video of Chatur, just recently he said that… No, he’s wrong. Maybe that’s what Chatur was thinking but I want to tell you neither did Raju, nor Abhijat (one of the two writers), nor I, we didn’t know about Sonam. However, what Mr Sonam is doing is good work anyway. He doesn’t need to be based on the character of 3 Idiots for us to respect him and the work he’s done."
Aamir added that Wangchuk himself had previously clarified that the film's central character was not based on him.
“Just from the factual point of view, I wanted to clarify."
Asked about Wangchuk's continuing hunger strike, the actor said, “Well, all of us are very concerned about his health and his life. And we hope that it ends well. All of us are hoping that he ends his fast and looks after himself."
The video of Aamir's remarks triggered mixed reactions on social media. Among those responding was Cockroach Janta Party Chief Spokesperson Saurav Das, who described the actor's comments as unsatisfactory.
“Thank you for asking this question. his response was disappointing though."
Several public figures have extended support to Wangchuk during his protest, including Zeenat Aman, Soni Razdan, Omi Vaidya, Imran Khan, Swara Bhasker, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sonakshi Sinha and Fatima Sana Shaikh. Many have also voiced concern over his declining health while calling for a resolution to the ongoing situation.
