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Bollywood actor Aamir Khan has denied any link between his character in the 2009 hit 3 Idiots and Ladakhi educator and activist Sonam Wangchuk, whose hunger strike in New Delhi entered its 20th day on Friday.

Answering questions at an event organised to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his anti-colonial film Lagaan on Thursday, the actor said the idea that his character, Phunsukh Wangdu, and Wangchuk being connected was a “misconception”.

The question came after his 3 Idiots co-star Omi Vaidya — who played Chatur Ramalingam — posted a video on Instagram voicing support for Wangchuk. The reel’s caption read, “Did you know the real life Phunsukh Wangdu may die?”

“I saw a video of Chatur just recently. He said that, yes. No, he’s wrong,” Khan said.

He said Vaidya might have been under a false impression. “Maybe that’s what Chatur was thinking, but I want to tell you that neither Raju [the film’s director] nor Abhijat [the writer], nor I, we didn’t know about Mr Sonam.”

Wangchuk has, on previous occasions, also denied working with the team that made 3 Idiots, as per the Times of India. He did, however, say that people had told him there were similarities between him and Khan’s character.

Indian media reports the activist recounting a meeting with Khan in Mumbai in 2008. He said he had proposed a film highlighting the massive financial cost of the conflict between India and Pakistan over the Siachen Glacier. He had hoped such a movie would convince people on both sides of the border that the money would be better used elsewhere, such as on education.

In 2025, Wangchuk — who is also an engineer and a climate change campaigner — visited Islamabad to speak at Dawn’s Breathe Pakistan conference about environmental protection and his project in Ladakh. By then, the project had established 52 running artificial glaciers in Ladakh and 14 elsewhere in the world over six years.

At the event on Thursday, Khan appreciated the educationist’s efforts, and expressed concern over his hunger strike, which the actor hoped would end soon.

Wangchuk has been protesting with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in New Delhi, demanding the resignation of India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Prasad. The protest follows a massive scandal which saw papers of the country’s competitive university entrance exams leaked.

“Sonam sir is not doing so well, and his ribcage has started showing,” CJP Spokesperson Vijay Dahiya said in a recent update on the activist’s health.

“He’s nearly 60, has lost muscle mass; the heat and humidity are not helping either and I can see him having dizzy spells,” he added.

Several Bollywood celebrities have expressed support for Wangchuk’s mission, including actor Sonakshi Sinha, who said she salutes the activist for taking a stand for the country’s children. She lamented that the government was not even talking to the CJP, let alone fixing flaws in the system.

Veteran actors Zeenat Aman and Shabana Azmi also spoke out, with Azmi imploring Wangchuk to end his hunger strike and take care of himself. Aman called on the government to open dialogue with the CJP on the issue and work for the next generation.

Actor Naseeruddin Shah and author Arundhati Roy also urged Wangchuk to break his long-running “fast”, while actor Prakash Raj visited the protest site to express his solidarity with Wangchuk and the other protesters.