Sonam Wangchuk revives 3 Idiots debate.

Activist counters Aamir Khan’s claim with Ghajini-inspired wit.

The long-standing debate over whether 3 Idiots drew inspiration from Ladakhi innovator Sonam Wangchuk has resurfaced after Aamir Khan’s recent remarks. The actor insisted that neither he nor the film’s creators were aware of Wangchuk during the making of the 2009 blockbuster, denying any direct link between the activist and the character Phunsuk Wangdu.

Wangchuk, however, offered a sharp rebuttal during a podcast with YouTuber Prakhar Gupta. He recalled meeting Khan at an event before 3 Idiots was released, where they spoke at length about education and innovation. With characteristic humour, Wangchuk quipped that Khan might have forgotten the encounter because he was immersed in his Ghajini role at the time- a character famously plagued by short-term memory loss.

Videos later surfaced showing Khan watching one of Wangchuk’s speeches while dressed in his Ghajini look, further fuelling speculation. Wangchuk suggested that Khan may have absorbed some of the concepts they discussed and shared them with the creative team, who might not have realized the source. He clarified that he does not view 3 Idiots as a biography of his life but acknowledged that certain elements could have been influenced by their interaction.

The activist emphasized that his concern was not about credit or recognition. Instead, he highlighted how ideas often travel and evolve in unexpected ways. “We had met in great detail and exchanged thoughts. Perhaps those ideas later found their way into the film,” he said, adding that he preferred to move forward rather than dwell on the past.

Khan, for his part, has maintained that the resemblance between Wangchuk’s work and Phunsuk Wangdu is coincidental. He reiterated that director Rajkumar Hirani and writer Abhijat Joshi were unaware of Wangchuk during the film’s development.

The renewed exchange has reignited public curiosity about the origins of one of Bollywood’s most beloved characters. While Wangchuk’s witty Ghajini reference added levity to the debate, it also underscored the blurred lines between real-life inspiration and cinematic storytelling.

Meanwhile, Khan has shifted focus to his latest production, Batwara 1947 (2026), directed by Rajkumar Satoshi and featuring Sunny Deol, Preity Zinta, Shabana Azmi, Karan Deol, and Ali Fazal. As the conversation around 3 Idiots resurfaces, both Khan and Wangchuk appear intent on moving ahead, even as audiences continue to revisit the film’s cultural impact.