Amid Sonam Wangchuk’s ongoing protest, questions were raised over Aamir Khan’s silence on the issue. For the uninitiated, the Ladakh-based engineer and education reformer has been on an indefinite hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over the alleged NEET examination paper leak and his demand for greater accountability and reforms in the examination system.
Aamir Khan’s character of Rancho, aka Phunsukh Wangdu, in 3 Idiots has often been said to be inspired by Wangchuk. In recent weeks, several celebrities, including Zeenat Aman, Sonakshi Sinha, Abhay Deol, Swara Bhasker and 3 Idiots actor Omi Vaidya, have voiced their support for Wangchuk and his cause.
Aamir Khan has now finally broken his silence on the matter. The Rang De Basanti actor recently attended the closing ceremony of the London Indian Film Festival, where he made a special appearance for the screening of Lagaan.
He later participated in a post-screening conversation reflecting on the film’s legacy as it completed 25 years.
During the interaction, Aamir was asked about Sonam Wangchuk. Responding to the question, he clarified that his character in 3 Idiots was not based on Wangchuk.
Aamir 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 (referring to Omi’s character in 3 Idiots) 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, knew 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.”
When asked about Wangchuk’s deteriorating health amid the hunger strike, Aamir added, “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.”
A few days ago, Omi Vaidya shared a video expressing his support for Sonam Wangchuk. In the clip, the actor claimed that Wangchuk had inspired Aamir Khan’s character, Phunsukh Wangdu, in 3 Idiots. He said he did not want to see the “real-life Phunsukh Wangdu” die and urged people to support Wangchuk and the work he has been doing.
As of July 17, Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike has entered its 20th day.
Also Read: Aamir Khan And Rachel Shelley Reunite To Celebrate 25 Years Of Lagaan
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