Aamir Khan has dismissed actor Omi Vaidya's claim that his iconic '3 Idiots' character Rancho was inspired by education reformer Sonam Wangchuk, calling it a "misconception" while expressing concern over the activist's ongoing hunger strike.

Today at @BFI I asked Mr Amir Khan about @Wangchuk66 and his fast. Here is his response: @abhijeet_dipke @CJP_2029 @Cockroachisback @SauravDassss pic.twitter.com/jkeKFssrDX

— nabanita sircar (@sircarnabanita) July 16, 2026

Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan has clarified that his iconic character Phunsukh Wangdu (Rancho) in 3 Idiots was not based on Sonam Wangchuk, contradicting co-star Omi Vaidya's recent social media claim.

Speaking during a Q&A session at the London Indian Film Festival, Khan said neither he, director Rajkumar Hirani, nor writer Abhijat Joshi knew Wangchuk while making the 2009 blockbuster.

"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... Neither Raju nor Abhijat, the writers of the film, nor I knew about Mr Sonam," Khan said.

He, however, praised Wangchuk's work and stressed that it deserved respect irrespective of any connection to the film.

"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."

Aamir Khan on Omi Vaidya's viral post

The clarification came after actor Omi Vaidya, who played the memorable character Chatur Ramalingam (Silencer) in 3 Idiots, shared a video on X claiming Rancho's character was based on Wangchuk. He urged people to support the activist, whose health has deteriorated during his hunger strike.

Reacting to the post, Aamir said: "I know that I saw the video of Chatur, just recently... he is wrong."

The remark has since gone viral on social media, with fans debating the origins of Rancho's character.

Aamir urges Sonam Wangchuk to end fast

While rejecting the claim, Khan expressed concern over Wangchuk's health and appealed to him to call off his indefinite hunger strike.

"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."

Why is Sonam Wangchuk on hunger strike?

Sonam Wangchuk has been on an indefinite hunger strike at Delhi's Jantar Mantar since June 28, 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 his latest medical bulletin, Wangchuk has lost more than 9-kg since beginning the fast. Doctors said he remains mentally alert, though his health continues to be closely monitored.

Several celebrities, including Zeenat Aman, Shabana Azmi, Sonakshi Sinha and Abhay Deol, have voiced concern over his condition.

With PTI inputs