Aamir Khan expressed deep concern for activist Sonam Wangchuk's health during his indefinite hunger strike in Delhi.
Khan clarified that his iconic 3 Idiots character Phunsukh Wangdu was not based on Sonam Wangchuk, calling it a misconception.
The actor revealed that neither he nor writers Rajkumar Hirani and Abhijat Joshi knew of Wangchuk during the film's production.
Actor Aamir Khan has finally broken his silence on Sonam Wangchuk's indefinite hunger strike. He also debunked the claims that his 3 Idiots character Phunsukh Wangdu was based on Sonam Wangchuk, calling it a "misconception." Expressing concern over Wangchu's health, Aamir hoped that he ends his fast.
Aamir Khan on Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike
During an appearance at the London Indian Film Festival, Aamir expressed his desire for a swift resolution to the activist's protest. "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," Aamir said.
Dismisses 3 Idiots character inspiration from Wangchuk
The actor clarified that his role as Rancho in the movie 3 Idiots was not inspired by Wangchuk.
He addressed the rumour during a post-screening question-and-answer session for the 25th anniversary of Lagaan at the London Indian Film Festival on Thursday, where the film was showcased as the closing-night highlight.
Aamir called it a "misconception" and added, "I didn’t know about Mr Sonam at that time when we were doing the film, 3 Idiots. I saw a video of Chatur 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, we didn’t know 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."
Earlier in the week, actor Omi Vaidya, who played Chatur Ramalingam in the film, claimed that Aamir's character was based on Wangchuk.
He also said, "I don't want Phunsukh Wangdu to die and I don't think you want him to either".
About Sonam Wangchuk hunger strike
Sonam Wangchuk began an indefinite hunger strike at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on June 28. He joined a protest launched by Abhijeet Dipke's Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) over the NEET-UG paper leak and calls for national examination reforms.
Protesters are demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.
Wangchuk's health has deteriorated and he has rejected appeals to stop his protest. He has called on the public to participate in a peaceful "Chalo Sansad" march to Parliament on July 20.
