An old video of activist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk recalling his 2008 meeting with actor Aamir Khan has resurfaced online after Khan recently said he did not know Wangchuk when 3 Idiots was being made. The 2009 film featured Aamir as Phunsukh Wangdu, a character long believed to have been inspired by Wangchuk. In the viral clip, Wangchuk confirms that he met the actor in 2008.
The video is from the 2008 CNN-IBN Real Heroes Award ceremony, where Wangchuk was honoured for his work in education in Ladakh. In the clip, he recalls discussing with Aamir the possibility of making a film on the India-Pakistan conflict in Ladakh, Baltistan, and the Siachen region. He also praises Aamir's performance in Taare Zameen Par, calling it an important film on children's learning disabilities.
The video resurfaced after Aamir Khan, speaking at an event hosted by the British Film Institute, dismissed the long-held belief that Phunsukh Wangdu was based on Wangchuk. Khan said neither he, director Rajkumar Hirani nor writer Abhijat Joshi knew Wangchuk during the making of 3 Idiots, describing the claim as a misconception.
He added that while Wangchuk's work deserved admiration, it was unrelated to the film. Khan also expressed concern over Wangchuk's health as the activist continues his indefinite hunger strike at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, saying he hoped the fast would end soon.
WANGCHUK ON 3 IDIOTS
Wangchuk has previously said that after travelling to France in 2009, he began receiving messages from friends and journalists congratulating him on a film they believed was based on his life.
He later learnt that the filmmakers had visited a school associated with him in 2008 but had not disclosed the purpose of their visit. According to Wangchuk, the team wanted to bring large quantities of plastic waste for filming, but permission was denied, prompting them to shift the shoot to another nearby school.
Wangchuk said he initially considered writing to the filmmakers after the film's release but decided against it because of the public dispute between author Chetan Bhagat and the makers over the film's credits. He did not want his letter to be interpreted as a demand for compensation.
After waiting for two years, Wangchuk eventually wrote to the filmmakers, mentioning his earlier meeting with Aamir Khan and the similarities he had noticed, but said he never received a response.
