Actor Aamir Khan’s statements on the education reformer Sonam Wangchuk have brought him intense social media attention, with a number of reactions.
In an interview with him at the London Indian Film Festival, Aamir has clarified that he was not inspired by Wangchuk for his iconic character Phunsukh Wangdu in the movie 3 Idiots. He did not know of the Ladakhian innovator at the time of preparing the blockbuster movie in 2009, he said. Meanwhile, the actor showed concern about Wangchuk’s health and offered his continuing support to his ongoing hunger strike demanding Constitution protection for Ladakh.
This was a clarification that promptly polarized people who use social media. Aamir’s utterance was criticised by many who said that it goes against the ongoing feeling that the character has been inspired by Wangchuk’s life and work. Several users also referred to previous comments by actor Omi Vaidya, who had suggested that Wangchuk was the inspiration behind Phunsukh Wangdu.
Yet others noted that Sonam Wangchuk had earlier claimed he had not been involved in the making of the film and distanced himself from the former.
Even among the backlash, many users liked Aamir for his openness to support Wangchuk’s longstanding protest and that he was promoting the ongoing protest for Ladakh without bothering to link it to 3 Idiots.
The controversy has since become viral, with fans and critics on one side sharing opinions about the character’s origin, while the other has been Wangchuk’s advocacy for the safeguarding of constitutional rights in Ladakh.