Bollywood star Aamir Khan has dismissed the long-standing claim that his character in 3 Idiots was inspired by educator and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk.
According to Variety, Khan addressed the rumour during a BFI In Conversation event at BFI Southbank as part of the London Indian Film Festival, which also celebrated the 25th anniversary of Lagaan.
“No, that’s not true, actually. No, no. That is a misconception,” Khan said.
The issue resurfaced after 3 Idiots co-star Omi Vaidya, who played Chatur, posted a video linking Khan’s character, Phunsukh Wangdu, to Wangchuk while expressing concern over the activist’s health during his hunger strike demanding the resignation of India’s education minister.
Khan rejected the suggestion and said neither director Rajkumar Hirani, writer Abhijat Joshi nor he knew Wangchuk while making the film.
“I know that I saw a video of Chatur just recently. He said that yes. No, he’s wrong,” Khan said. “Maybe that’s what Chatur was thinking, but I want to tell you that neither Raju nor Abhijat nor I knew Mr Sonam. However, what Mr Sonam is doing is good work. He doesn’t have to be the basis of the character in 3 Idiots for us to respect him and the work he does.”
Speaking about Wangchuk’s hunger strike, Khan said everyone was concerned about the activist’s health and hoped he would end his fast.
Reflecting on Lagaan, which earned an Academy Award nomination after its release in 2001, Khan admitted he never imagined discussing the film on a London stage 25 years later.
“We were just frightened. We were terrified trying to get it right,” he said, later describing the film as “a film about the triumph of the human spirit.”
Khan also shared memories from his career and personal life during the discussion. He revealed that his family initially opposed his ambition to become an actor, despite both his father and uncle working in the film industry.
The actor recalled reaching state champion level in junior tennis before leaving the sport. Speaking about an exhibition match involving Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, he joked that he remains “the only person” to have the two tennis legends standing on either side of the net trying to lower it.
His earliest experience on a film set came while filming Yaadon Ki Baaraat as a child. Khan remembered disliking the smell of pancake make-up and finding the atmosphere intimidating because of the noise and constant shouting.
He described Ketan Mehta’s 1984 film Holi as a turning point in his career. Khan initially joined the project hoping to see a Steadicam in action, but the equipment never arrived and the film was eventually shot handheld.
Looking back at Hindi cinema, Khan said he considers the 1950s and 1960s the industry’s true golden era, praising the writers, composers and filmmakers of that period. He described the 1980s as commercial cinema’s lowest phase before younger directors helped revive the industry.
Discussing his career choices, including his role in Deepa Mehta’s 1947 Earth, Khan said he often chose projects that went against prevailing trends.
He also recalled rejecting a film offered by Mahesh Bhatt during a difficult period marked by consecutive box-office failures because he disliked the script.
“Had I compromised that day, I think my entire career would have been a series of compromises,” he said.
The experience led him to adopt three guiding principles before signing any project: a strong script, complete trust in the director and a producer willing to fully support the creative team.
Khan also reflected on the period after Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hai, both released in 2001, saying he stepped away from work while going through his divorce from Reena.
He later returned with Mangal Pandey and said historical research for the film proved challenging because very little had been written about the 19th-century revolutionary.
Speaking about directing children in his directorial debut Taare Zameen Par, Khan said they required very little guidance because they performed naturally.
He credited the success of later films, including Ghajini, 3 Idiots, Dhoom 3, PK and Dangal, to strong stories rather than any ability to predict box-office success.
Khan also noted that smartphones have fundamentally changed audience viewing habits, saying filmmakers now compete with countless other forms of entertainment. Despite those changes, he believes compelling storytelling remains the deciding factor in a film’s success.
Explaining his approach to acting, Khan said he first tries to understand the character completely before developing the appearance, behaviour and dialogue.
The actor also confirmed his next project, Silkyara 41, an Indo-Australian production inspired by the 2023 Silkyara tunnel rescue mission in Uttarakhand. Produced by Aamir Khan Productions, Mind Blowing Films and Kabir Khan Films, the feature is written by Australian screenwriter Andrew Anastasios and directed by Kabir Khan. Preparation begins on 1 August, with principal photography scheduled to start in November.
