Actor Omi Vaidya, who played the role of Chatur in Amir Khan’s 3 Idiots, on Tuesday extended support to the educator and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is on an indefinite hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. He also appealed the public to pay attention to the activist’s deteriorating health and said it should not be ignored.
Sharing a video message on social media, Vaidya invoked the iconic character Phunsukh Wangdu—widely believed to have been inspired by Wangchuk—and appealed to the public to pay attention to the activist’s worsening health and the issues he is raising.
“I don’t want Phunsukh Wangdu to die,” Vaidya said in the video before asking viewers to listen to his message.
The actor reminded people that Aamir Khan’s character in 3 Idiots was inspired by Sonam Wangchuk, whom he described as an accomplished engineer, innovator, educator and reformer from Ladakh.
Vaidya said Wangchuk’s health had become a matter of concern during the prolonged fast and urged people to understand the issues behind the protest. “He is on a very long hunger strike. His blood sugar has gone down very much. I don’t know if you’ve heard about this, but this is a pretty important thing,” he said.
According to Vaidya, Wangchuk’s protest centres on concerns related to education, Ladakh’s autonomy and environmental issues. He added that irrespective of differing opinions, people should not ignore the activist’s condition.
Activist and lawyer Prashant Bhushan also shared Vaidya’s video on X and praised the actor for speaking up. In his post, Bhushan noted that Vaidya had supported Sonam Wangchuk, whom he described as the inspiration behind the 3 Idiots character Phunsukh Wangdu. He also questioned whether actor Aamir Khan would respond to the ongoing protest.
According to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which is leading the agitation, Wangchuk’s health has deteriorated during the fast, with the organisation claiming he has lost nearly 9 kg since beginning the hunger strike.
The group said Wangchuk’s indefinite fast entered its 16th day on Tuesday.
The CJP has been protesting over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination since June 20. The organisation has demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of NEET aspirants who allegedly died by suicide following the controversy.
Wangchuk joined the protest on June 28 and has remained on an indefinite hunger strike since then.
The organisation has also announced a peaceful march to Parliament on July 20, coinciding with the start of the Monsoon Session, as student groups and opposition leaders continue to express support for the protest.