Aamir Khan on Sonam Wangchuk: Social Media Reacts to Aamir Khan’s Sonam Wangchuk Comment

By Aditya Nagar | July 18, 2026

Aamir Khan on Sonam Wangchuk: Aamir Khan recently said that the character Phunsukh Wangdu in 3 Idiots was not based on Sonam Wangchuk.

This led to a lively debate online, as many people shared old interviews with Wangchuk and questioned Khan's claim that the filmmakers did not know about the activist when they made the film.

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Aamir Khan on Sonam Wangchuk: Actor Under Fire as Social Media Questions '3 Idiots' Inspiration Claim

Aamir Khan Statement: Actor Aamir Khan was criticised on social media after he said his 3 Idiots character, Phunsukh Wangdu, was not based on environmentalist and educator Sonam Wangchuk.

Many people disagreed, pointing to Wangchuk's past interviews and saying the filmmakers knew about his work before the 2009 film.

Internet Reacts to Aamir Khan

One social media user called Khan's statement "a new low" and said it was hard to believe, since the film's ending was reportedly shot at a school associated with Wangchuk in Ladakh.

Another user said they did not believe Khan and asked why he denied that 3 Idiots was inspired by Sonam Wangchuk.

A third user accused Khan of shirking responsibility and said public figures should be held accountable for what they say, rather than being praised without question.

Aamir Khan Latest News: Aamir Khan Breaks Silence on 3 Idiots Inspiration Claims, Fans Defend Actor

Aamir Khan on Sonam Wangchuk: Some users defended Khan. One person argued that if the connection was real, Khan would have no reason to deny it, since admitting it could bring good publicity.

The user also suggested that keeping the character separate from Wangchuk might be related to future plans for the film series.

Another post asked why the character was named Phunsukh Wangdu, pointing out that the name is very similar to Sonam Wangchuk's.

Another user mentioned an old video by Wangchuk and said that even though the film was later shot at a different school, the 3 Idiots team, including Aamir Khan, knew about Wangchuk's work.

The user also pointed to footage from a 2008 award ceremony as evidence. debate intensified after Aamir Khan addressed the speculation at a British Film Institute event in England on Thursday.

Phunsukh Wangdu Inspiration: Aamir Khan Refutes Claims That Sonam Wangchuk Inspired 3 Idiots

Aamir Khan dismissed the claims, stating that they were based on a misconception. He said that neither he nor the makers of 3 Idiots knew about Sonam Wangchuk while making the film.

Referring to a recent video of actor Omi Vaidya, who played Chatur, Khan said Vaidya was mistaken and clarified that neither director Rajkumar Hirani nor writer Abhijat Joshi, nor he himself, was aware of Wangchuk at the time.

However, he added that Sonam Wangchuk's work deserved respect regardless of any connection to the character in 3 Idiots, saying that Wangchuk did not need to be the inspiration behind the film for people to admire and respect him.

Sonam Wangchuk Hunger Strike: Actor Expresses Concern Over Wangchuk’s Health

Aamir Khan on Sonam Wangchuk: Khan also said he was worried about Wangchuk's health because the activist is still on a hunger strike at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.

Aamir Khan said that Sonam Wangchuk had previously clarified that the character was not based on him.

He added that everyone was concerned about Wangchuk's health and well-being and expressed hope that his fast would end on a positive note.

Aamir Khan Clarifies 3 Idiots Inspiration: Wangchuk-Aamir 2008 Meet Video Resurfaces Amid Row

The controversy grew after an old video of Wangchuk from the 2008 CNN-IBN Real Heroes Award ceremony resurfaced online.

In the video, Wangchuk recalled meeting Aamir Khan after receiving the award for his work in education in Ladakh.

He said they talked about possibly making a film about the India-Pakistan border areas of Ladakh and Baltistan, as well as the Siachen dispute.

Wangchuk also praised Khan's role in Taare Zameen Par for raising awareness about children's learning disabilities.

Wangchuk also said he went to France a few months later to study earth architecture.

Aamir Khan on Sonam Wangchuk: Sonam Wangchuk Shares Untold Story Behind the '3 Idiots' School Visit

After 3 Idiots was released in December 2009, he began getting congratulatory messages from friends and journalists who thought the film was inspired by his work.

He said he did not know about the connection at first, but later learned that some of the film's team had visited a school linked to him in 2008 without explaining why.

Wangchuk said the filmmakers asked permission to bring a large amount of plastic waste to the school for filming, but the request was denied, so they moved the shoot to another nearby school.

3 Idiots Real Story: The activist also said he considered writing to the filmmakers after the film was released, but decided not to because of the public dispute between author Chetan Bhagat and the filmmakers over writing credits.

He said he did not want his letter to seem like a request for money.

He eventually wrote to the filmmakers two years later, mentioning his meeting with Khan and the film, but said he never got a reply.

Here is a video of Wangchuk, who appeared on Hot Seat with Amitabh Bachchan on KBC.

Ex-Wife Kiran Rao Stands by Sonam Wangchuk as Aamir Khan Rejects 3 Idiots Inspiration Claims

Filmmaker Kiran Rao has expressed support for climate activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk, whose hunger strike entered its 20th day on Friday.

Shortly after, actor Aamir Khan said that his character Rancho from 3 Idiots was not based on Wangchuk and also expressed concern for Wangchuk's health.

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