August 15, 2026 02:13 am (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
Ajit Doval breaks silence on Operation Sindoor in Discovery’s explosive new docuseries | Rahul Gandhi's 'mock hug' taunt sparks row; Centre stresses 'mutual respect' with Italy | Delhi on high alert: Bomb threat to High Court, airport and multiple locations ahead of I-Day | ‘Who are they to interfere?’: CJI Surya Kant slams Bar Council of India over NALSAR students’ enrolment row | 'Shows how low Congress has sunk': BJP slams Rahul Gandhi over Modi foreign policy jibe | From guns to glamour: Former women Maoists walk the ramp in Chhattisgarh | Netaji row: Suvendu Adhikari govt strips BJP MP Anant Maharaj of state honour | Sukhbir Badal attacked by Nihang Sikh with kirpan at Maharashtra gurdwara; assailant detained | ‘If you cannot do it, we will pass an order’: Supreme Court’s final warning to Centre on food labels | ‘Time to move on’: Bombay HC sends strong message in Vijay Mallya-bank dispute
Aamir Khan responds to claim that his '3 Idiots' role was based on Sonam Wangchuk. Photo: Screen-grab/Sonam Wangchuk Facebook

'Chatur is wrong': Aamir Khan says '3 Idiots' wasn't inspired by Sonam Wangchuk

| @indiablooms | Jul 17, 2026, at 01:28 pm

Mumbai/IBNS: Bollywood actor Aamir Khan has dismissed the long-held belief that his character in the blockbuster film 3 Idiots was inspired by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is currently on a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

Aamir's clarification comes after his 3 Idiots co-star Omi Vaidya recently claimed that the actor's character was based on Wangchuk.

Aamir calls it a misconception

Speaking at a public event, Aamir said the belief was factually incorrect and that none of the film's makers knew about Wangchuk while 3 Idiots was being made.

"That's not true. It's a misconception. When we were making 3 Idiots, I didn't know about Mr. Sonam Wangchuk. I recently came across a video of 'Chatur' making that claim, but it's incorrect.

"Neither I, nor Raju (Rajkumar Hirani, director), nor anyone else associated with the film had any information about Sonam Wangchuk at the time."

Praises Wangchuk's work

While rejecting the claim, Aamir lauded Wangchuk's contributions and said the activist's work deserved appreciation irrespective of any connection with the film.

"However, the work Mr. Sonam Wangchuk is doing is truly commendable. 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 just wanted to clarify the facts."

Expresses concern over hunger strike

Aamir also voiced concern over Wangchuk's ongoing hunger strike and hoped that the activist would end his fast soon.

"We are all deeply concerned about his health and well-being, and we sincerely hope that he ends his fast soon," he added, amid social media ire against him for not backing Wangchuk's protest.

The actor made the remarks during a session at the London Indian Film Festival (LIFF).

'I don't want Phunsukh Wangdu to die': '3 Idiots' star Omi Vaidya's emotional appeal

Actor Omi Vaidya, best known for playing 'Chatur' in the blockbuster film 3 Idiots, has voiced support for Wangchuk, who is camped at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

In a video shared on Instagram, Vaidya appealed to the public to pay attention to Wangchuk's protest, saying the issue had not received adequate media coverage.

 

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.