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RENOWNED INNOVATOR SONAM WANGCHUK’S indefinite hunger strike has entered its 20th day at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar as part of a protest organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP). The CJP is demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following the alleged NEET exam paper leak. While several celebrities have come forward to extend their support for Wangchuk, others have remained quiet on the matter, which has become national news. 

For the longest time, Wangchuk’s association with popular culture has been prominent, especially after Rajkumar Hirani directed 3 Idiots. Several narratives have suggested that the character Phunsukh Wangdu , played by actor Aamir Khan, was inspired by Wangchuk’s life. In the film Phunsukh Wangdu was a scientist and teacher working in Ladakh. 

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Recently, one of the film’s beloved characters, 'Silencer' (Chatur Ramalingam), played by Omi Vaidya, took to Instagram to express his support for Wangchuk. Expressing that he did not want Phunsukh Wangdu to die, Vaidya added, “Did you know that Phunsukh Wangdu from 3 Idiots is actually based on a real-life Ladakhi engineer, innovator, educator and reformer named Sonam Wangchuk? I’ve met this guy. He’s a pretty interesting character.” 

Several social media users praised the actor for speaking out and wrote, “Even Aamir Khan, the actor who actually played the character, never spoke up. Respect for Omi.”

Is 3 Idiots based on Sonam Wangchuk?

Netizens have once again flooded the internet with the familiar narrative that 3 Idiots was indeed inspired by the life of Sonam Wangchuk. Wangchuk, a Ramon Magsaysay Award recipient, is the founder of the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), which was established in 1988 to reform Ladakh’s education system.

The protagonist of 3 Idiots and actor Aamir Khan, aka Mr Perfectionist, who has been in the spotlight recently following his third marriage to Gauri Spratt, has busted the Wangchuk narrative. At a public event celebrating the 25th anniversary of Lagaan (2001) at the London Indian Film Festival, he stated that the film is not based on the life of Sonam Wangchuk. “There is a misconception that 3 Idiots was based on Sonam Wangchuk's life. That is not true. When the film was being written, we had no information about Sonam Wangchuk, and I did not know him personally,” said the Lagaan actor.
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Aamir Khan on Sonam Wangchuk, Internet Reacts

Reacting to Omi Vaidya’s video, Aamir Khan said, “What Chatur (Omi Vaidya) said in the video is incorrect.” In the video Vaidya had stated that Phunsukh Wangdu and Sonam Wangchuk are the same person. Vaidya further addressed Wangchuk's ongoing hunger strike and added, “Whether you agree with him or not, I don’t really want this guy to die.” 

Following Khan’s statement, the internet erupted, with users claiming that Aamir Khan had met Sonam Wangchuk in 2008, before the release of 3 Idiots, during a CNN-IBN event where the duo interacted. One X user took a jibe at Aamir Khan, writing, “Aamir was probably shooting for Ghajini then. Funny how he has now completely forgotten this meeting.”

As Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike entered its 20th day, his health reportedly deteriorated. According to an India Today report, his weight had dropped to 56.65 kg as of July 16, 2026, and doctors stated that he currently requires constant medical monitoring.

(Edited by Harsh Pandey)

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