3 Idiots’ Omi Vaidya supports Sonam Wangchuk amid hunger strike: “I don’t want Phunsukh Wangdu to die” | Today’s news
Omi Vaidya, who won wide acclaim for his portrayal of the ambitious and competitive Chatur Ramalingam – popularly known as ‘Silencer’ – in Rajkumar Hirani’s 2009 blockbuster 3 Idiots, has expressed concern over the health of education reformer and engineer Sonam Wangchuk and urged people to pay attention to his ongoing hunger strike.
Omi Vaidya supports Sonam Wangchuk amid hunger strike
Sharing the video on social media, Vaidya introduced himself before making an emotional appeal to the public.
The video began by saying, “I don’t want Phunsukh Wangdu to die. Hello idiots, pehchano? This is Omi Vaidya, Chatur from ‘3 Idiots’ and Sadiq from ‘The Office’ and I have an important message for you. I really don’t do this very often, so please listen.”
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Sonam Wangchuk’s health has deteriorated significantly during his hunger strike, with reports saying he has lost nearly 9 kilograms and is experiencing immense pain and muscle loss.
Wangchuk is on hunger strike to protest alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and to express concerns about education, Ladakh’s autonomy and environmental protection.
Omi Vaidya expressed his support for Sonam Wangchuk through a video message and urged the public to pay attention to Wangchuk’s deteriorating health and the issues she is advocating for.
The CJP has demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and compensation for the families of NEET candidates who committed suicide due to alleged irregularities in the examination.
While many, including political figures, urge Wangchuk to end the hunger strike on health grounds, he insists the focus should be on the government opening a dialogue on the issues he is raising.
The actor further reminded viewers that Phunsukh Wangdu, the eccentric inventor who appears at the end of 3 Idiots, was inspired by a real person.
“Did you know that Phunsukh Wangdu from ‘3 Idiots’ is actually based on a real-life Ladakh engineer, innovator, educator and reformer named Sonam Wangchuk? I met this guy. He’s quite an interesting character,” he said.
Vaidya then expressed concern over Wangchuk’s deteriorating health during the protest.
“He’s on a very long hunger strike right now. His blood sugar has dropped a lot. I don’t know if you’ve heard about it. I don’t know if the media is reporting it. But this is a pretty important thing. Whether you agree with him or not, I really don’t want this guy to die,” Vaidya said in his video.
New Delhi, July 14 (ANI): Environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk on the 17th day of her indefinite hunger strike in support of the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) campaign seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities and the NEET paper leak at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Tuesday. (ANI Photo/Rahul Singh)(Rahul Singh)
More about the situation
According to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), Wangchuk’s condition worsened during the fast, and the organization claims he has lost nearly 9 kilograms since joining the protest.
Wangchuk has been participating in demonstrations over alleged irregularities in the NEET exam, while also voicing concerns about education, Ladakh’s autonomy and environmental protection. The protesters demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and compensation to the families of NEET aspirants who allegedly died by suicide.
The CJP also announced a peaceful march to Parliament on July 20 during the monsoon session.
About 3 idiots
Released in 2009, 3 Idiots remains one of the most famous films of Hindi cinema. Directed by Rajkumar Hirani, it starred Aamir Khan as Ranchoddas Shamaldas Chanchad, who is later revealed to be the real Phunsukh Wangdu, along with R Madhavan as Farhan Qureshi, Sharman Joshi as Raju Rastogi, Kareena Kapoor Khan as Pia Sahastrabuddhe and college principal Boman’d Virusani as Sarouha.
Read also | Sonam Wangchuk is on hunger strike amid growing calls for a quick end
Vaidya’s portrayal of Chatur, an academically gifted but rote student, became one of the film’s most memorable performances, with several of his scenes achieving cult status.
The climax of the film reveals that Ranchoddas is actually Phunsukh Wangdu, an internationally renowned scientist and innovator inspired by the life and work of Sonam Wangchuk.
An engineer, inventor and education reformer from Ladakh, Wangchuk has long been recognized as a pioneer of alternative education models and sustainable technologies in the Himalayan region.
