Aamir's 'Rancho isn't Sonam' remark sparks political and social media frenzy

Aamir Khan's assertion that his iconic 3 Idiots character Phunsukh Wangdu was not inspired by educationist Sonam Wangchuk has snowballed into a political and social media firestorm, with critics accusing the actor of choosing a curious moment to distance himself from a figure widely associated with the film.

Speaking at the London Indian Film Festival, Khan dismissed the long-held belief that Wangchuk inspired the character.

"No, that's not true actually. That is a misconception. I didn't know about Mr Sonam at that time when we were doing this film 3 Idiots... However, what Mr 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 the work that he does," the actor said.

Asked about Wangchuk, who is currently on an indefinite hunger strike, Khan added, "I think all of us are very concerned for his health... We hope that it ends well. All of us are hoping he ends his fast and looks after his health."

But it was not the clarification itself so much as its timing that became the story. Within hours, politicians, activists and social media users questioned why the actor chose to correct the record now — nearly 17 years after the blockbuster's release and at a time when Wangchuk is in the headlines over his fast.

RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha was among the first to raise the question. "It took them years to say this. I don't even remember how many years ago the film was released. Until now, everyone believed the same thing. Only now have you realised that this is what should have been said. It shows having a spine in front of the state is not an easy option," he told PTI Video.

Senior Congress leader Husain Dalwai went a step further, suggesting fear lay behind the actor's remarks. "He is wrong... I didn't know he was so scared. Aamir Khan is one of my favourite actors and producers but I wonder why he is so scared. Sonam Wangchuk has been sitting on a hunger strike for so many days. He should express sympathy with him and support him," Dalwai said.

Advocate and activist Prashant Bhushan also expressed disappointment, saying Khan no longer reflected the image he once projected through his films. "Finally Aamir Khan was asked about Sonam Wangchuk's fast. His response though polite was tepid. He is now a pale shadow of the person who made 3 Idiots and many other revolutionary films, and the programme Satyamev Jayate," Bhushan posted on X.

Singer Lucky Ali, while steering clear of the controversy over the film, backed Wangchuk's campaign. "I don't know Sonam Wangchuk nor have I seen the film that's based on him but this much I know he brought comfort to a lot of our forces in the heights through his innovations... I hope the government wakes up... and pays attention to the consequences that may arise if something happened to him," he wrote on Instagram.

Former Congress leader Sanjay Jha responded with biting sarcasm. "Now Aamir Khan says Phunsukh Wangdu in 3 Idiots is not inspired by Sonam Wangchuk. Correct. Just like Gandhi, the 1982 film is not based on Mahatma Gandhi," he posted on X.

Social media quickly split into rival camps. Many accused Khan of abandoning a man whom millions had long believed to be the real-life inspiration for Rancho. "This guy instantly lost all respect. Absolute coward," wrote one user.

Another posted, "Aamir Khan's evasive, roundabout response when questioned about Sonam Wangchuk. How spineless real-life heroes of reels turn out to be!"

"Aamir Khan is such a shameless guy man. I really don't understand how anybody can be fans of these people," read another post.

Others, however, defended the actor, arguing that the Rancho-Wangchuk connection had always been more popular folklore than established fact.

One user claimed, "For years, a carefully manufactured image was sold to the nation. Sonam Wangchuk as the real-life Rancho from 3 Idiots... In reality, Wangchuk was born into a politically influential family."

Several users also dug up an old interview in which director Rajkumar Hirani had offered a different origin story for Rancho. According to Hirani, the character was inspired by a Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) aspirant who attended classes in a friend's name after the latter was unable to join.

"He said, 'I am not here for a degree. I am here for education,'" Hirani had recalled, describing the anecdote that eventually evolved into the character of Phunsukh Wangdu.

The controversy comes as Wangchuk remains on an indefinite hunger strike at Delhi's Jantar Mantar after joining the Cockroach Janata Party's (CJP) protest demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination. According to the latest medical bulletin, he has lost more than nine kilograms since beginning his fast.

Several film personalities, including Zeenat Aman, Shabana Azmi, Sonakshi Sinha and Abhay Deol, have appealed to the government to open a dialogue with the activist.

Seventeen years after 3 Idiots blurred the line between fiction and reality, it is not the film's message but the man who played its idealist hero who now finds himself at the centre of an unexpectedly polarising script.

With PTI inputs