Aamir Khan Clarifies 3 Idiots Character Not Inspired by Sonam Wangchuk

Aamir Khan has recently clarified that his character Phunsukh Wangdu in the film 3 Idiots was not inspired by Sonam Wangchuk, following the resurfacing of an old video featuring Wangchuk discussing their meeting. The actor emphasized that he and the film's creative team were unaware of Wangchuk during production. This clarification comes as Wangchuk continues his hunger strike in New Delhi, drawing attention to his activism. The resurfaced footage highlights Wangchuk's reflections on their past interactions and the film's production, reigniting discussions about the connections between his life and the film's narrative.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 17, 2026, 19:52 IST

Aamir Khan Addresses Misconceptions About 3 Idiots Character

Following Aamir Khan's clarification that his role as Phunsukh Wangdu in the film 3 Idiots was not modeled after Sonam Wangchuk, an older video featuring the education reformer has gained attention. This footage, believed to be from 2008, captures Wangchuk reflecting on his encounter with the actor a year prior to the film's debut. The clip has gone viral after Aamir, during a recent event at the British Film Institute in London, dismissed the long-held belief that his character was inspired by Wangchuk.

Sonam Wangchuk Discusses His Meeting with Aamir Khan

In the resurfaced video, Wangchuk recounts his meeting with Aamir Khan at a CNN-IBN event, where he was honored for his contributions to education in Ladakh. He reminisced about discussing a potential film set in regions along the Indian-Pakistan border, including Ladakh, Baltistan, and the Siachen conflict. Wangchuk also expressed his admiration for Aamir's performance in Taare Zameen Par, appreciating the actor's portrayal of children's learning disabilities. This video has resurfaced as Wangchuk continues his indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

Aamir Khan Denies Connection to Sonam Wangchuk's Life

On July 17, Aamir Khan's comments regarding Sonam Wangchuk's protest and the ongoing speculation about 3 Idiots attracted significant attention. The actor stated that neither he, director Rajkumar Hirani, nor writer Abhijat Joshi were aware of Wangchuk during the film's production. He characterized the perceived connection as a misunderstanding, asserting that the creative team had no knowledge of Wangchuk at the time. Aamir dismissed co-actor Omi Vaidya's recent remarks about the film, stating, "No, no. That is a misconception. I didn't know about Mr. Sonam at the time when we were doing the film, 3 Idiots. I know I saw a video of Chatur (Omi Vaidya) recently. He is wrong. Maybe that's what Chatur is thinking. Neither Raju nor Abhijat Joshi, who were the two writers, nor I - we didn't know about Mr. Sonam. However, what Mr. Sonam is doing is good in any case. He doesn't have to be based on the character of 3 Idiots for us to respect him," Aamir stated. While distancing the film from Wangchuk's narrative, Aamir expressed his respect for the activist's work and concern for his health during the hunger strike, emphasizing that Wangchuk's contributions deserve recognition, regardless of any perceived links to the film.

Sonam Wangchuk's Perspective on 3 Idiots

The resurfaced footage has reignited interest in Wangchuk's perspective on the 3 Idiots narrative. He shared that after returning from France in 2009, he began receiving congratulatory messages from friends, which initially puzzled him. He later discovered that members of the 3 Idiots production team had visited a school associated with him prior to filming. The filmmakers had intended to shoot scenes involving large amounts of plastic waste on campus but were denied permission, leading them to choose a different location. Wangchuk mentioned that he considered reaching out to the filmmakers after the film's release but refrained from doing so amid the public dispute between Chetan Bhagat and the film's creators regarding authorship. He did write to the filmmakers about his earlier meeting with Aamir and the similarities that had been pointed out, but he never received a response.