Aamir Khan says '3 Idiots' was not based on Sonam Wangchuk: That is a misconception
Mumbai, July 17
Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan has revealed that his character Phunsukh Wangdu from the 2009 blockbuster "3 Idiots" is not based on educationist and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk.
Aamir was speaking at the ongoing London Indian Film Festival when an audience member asked him about Sonam Wanchuk being the inspiration behind 3 Idiots.
Aamir replied: "No, that's not true actually. That is a misconception."
Aamir said he didn't know about Sonam when we were making the film.
The superstar said: "I know that I saw a video of Chatur (Omi Vaidya), just recently, he said that, no, he's wrong. Maybe that's what Chatur was thinking, but I want to tell you that neither Raju (Rajkumar Hirani) nor Abhijat (Abhijat Joshi) were the two writers, nor I, we didn't know about Sonam."
He added what Sonam is doing is good work in any case.
"He doesn't have to be based on the character of 3 Idiots for us to respect him and it won't get me down. Just from a factual point of view, I wanted to say that neither Raju nor Abhijat... It's never been clarified before this. He also has said that the character is not based on him. He's also clarified."
"3 Idiots" is directed by Rajkumar Hirani. The film stars Aamir Khan, R. Madhavan and Sharman Joshi in the title roles, while Kareena Kapoor, Boman Irani, Mona Singh and Omi Vaidya play supporting roles.
Narrated through two parallel timelines, one in the present and the other set ten years earlier, the story follows the friendship of three students at an Indian engineering college and is a satire about the intrinsic paternalism under the Indian education system.
Asked what he has to say about Sonam's hunger strike?
He added: "Well, I think all of us are very concerned for his health and his life and we hope that it ends well and all of us are hoping that he ends his fast and looks after his health."
— IANS
Reader Comments
It's interesting how these misconceptions take on a life of their own. Raju Hirani's writing is so brilliant that people naturally want to connect it to real-life heroes. But I'm glad Aamir set the record straight - it shows respect for both Sonam's work and the film's originality.
Good on Aamir for clarifying this! The movie created such an impact that people assumed it was based on real life. Phunsukh Wangdu represented the ideal teacher we all wished we had - that's why it resonated so much with us Indians. 🇮🇳
While I appreciate the clarification, I do wish Aamir had said something more about Sonam's current hunger strike. The man is literally risking his life for Ladakh's statehood. A bit more solidarity would have been appropriate, especially coming from someone as influential as Aamir.
This is what happens when a movie character becomes too iconic! '3 Idiots' changed how we think about education in India, and Sonam Wangchuk actually implemented those ideas in Ladakh. Whether the character was based on him or not, they share that same revolutionary spirit. ✨
A little disappointed that Aamir didn't use this platform to speak more strongly about Sonam's fast. The man is fighting for fundamental rights in Ladakh. But I'm glad he at least acknowledged the good work Sonam is doing. Still, more could have been said.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.