'Don't want Phunsukh Wangdu to die': 3 Idiots' Chatur urges public to notice Wangchuk's deteriorating health

Sonam Wangchuk has been on hunger strike at Delhi's Jantar Mantar for 16 days. He has lost nearly 9 kilograms. And Omi Vaidya, who played Chatur in 3 Idiots, the film whose protagonist was loosely inspired by Wangchuk, wants people to know about it.

On Tuesday, Vaidya shared a video on social media making an appeal he described as unusual for him. "I don't want Phunsukh Wangdu to die. Hello idiots, pehchana? This is Omi Vaidya, Chatur from 3 Idiots and Sadiq from The Office, and I have an important message for you. I don't really do this very often, so please listen up," he said.

He reminded viewers of the connection between the fictional character and the real person. "Did you know that Phunsukh Wangdu from 3 Idiots is actually based on a real-life Ladakhi engineer, innovator, educator and reformer named Sonam Wangchuk? I've met this guy. He's a pretty interesting character," he said.

Calling Wangchuk "humble" and "a pretty impressive person," Vaidya said the activist had achieved "some incredible stuff" and urged people to look him up. "Right now 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. I don't know if the media is reporting this. But this is a pretty important thing," he added.

On what Wangchuk is protesting, Vaidya said: "Whether you agree with him or not, I don't really want this guy to die," urging people to take a moment from their daily lives to understand the issues around education, Ladakh's autonomy and the environment.

Prashant Bhushan raises the Aamir Khan question

Activist and lawyer Prashant Bhushan amplified Vaidya's appeal by resharing the video on X. He wrote: "At least 1 character from Aamir Khan's film 3 Idiots has come out in support of Sonam Wangchuk (the inspiration behind the Aamir Khan character), who is on fast at Jantar Mantar for 17 days, seeking the resignation of Education Minister Pradhan. Waiting to see what Aamir Khan does (sic)?"

What the protest is about

Wangchuk joined the Cockroach Janta Party's protest at Jantar Mantar on June 28 and has been on an indefinite hunger strike since. The CJP's agitation, which entered its 24th day on Monday, centres on alleged irregularities in the NEET examination.

The group is demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Rs 1 crore in compensation for families of NEET aspirants who allegedly died by suicide following the controversy. The protest itself began on June 20.

The CJP has announced a peaceful march to Parliament on July 20, the opening day of the Monsoon Session, as opposition leaders and student groups continue to express support for the demonstration.