Aamir Khan has finally reacted after days of online debate over his silence on activist Sonam Wangchuk’s ongoing hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. The conversation gained momentum after his 3 Idiots
co-star Omi Vaidya, who played the iconic Chatur, publicly expressed support for Wangchuk. Addressing the issue at a recent event, Aamir clarified that the lead character in 3 Idiots (Phunsukh Wangdu) was not inspired by Wangchuk. He said that neither he, director Rajkumar Hirani, nor writer Abhijat Joshi knew Wangchuk when the film was being made. While making that clarification, the actor also expressed concern for Wangchuk’s health and urged him to end his fast.
During an interaction at the British Film Institute (BFI), Aamir Khan was asked about activist Sonam Wangchuk and his ongoing hunger strike. The reporter began by referring to 3 Idiots as a film that an entire generation grew up watching and mentioned the widely held belief that it was inspired by Sonam Wangchuk. Aamir, however, was quick to set the record straight. He clarified that neither he nor the makers knew Wangchuk when the film was being made and stressed that the lead character was not based on him.
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 also said that Sonam Wangchuk himself had clarified that the character was not based on him. He added, “Just from the factual point of view, I wanted to clarify.”
Today at @BFI I asked Mr Amir Khan about @Wangchuk66 and his fast. Here is his response: @abhijeet_dipke @CJP_2029 @Cockroachisback @SauravDassss pic.twitter.com/jkeKFssrDX
— nabanita sircar (@sircarnabanita) July 16, 2026
When he was further asked about Sonam’s ongoing hunger strike, Aamir replied, “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.”
Soon after the video surfaced online, netizens had mixed reactions to his statements. Even Saurav Das, Chief Spokesperson of Cockroach Janta Party, reacted to the same and said his reply was “disappointing.” He commented, “Thank you for asking this question. his response was disappointing though.”
Meanwhile, several celebrities, including Zeenat Aman, Soni Razdan, Omi Vaidya, Imran Khan, Swara Bhasker, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sonakshi Sinha and Fatima Sana Shaikh, have publicly voiced their support for Sonam Wangchuk. Many of them have also expressed concern over his deteriorating health and appealed for a resolution to the ongoing situation.
