Engineer was inspiration for 3 Idiots
Sonam Wangchuk was the ‘inspiration’ for Aamir Khan’s character in 2009 Bollywood movie ‘3 Idiots’. The film received critical acclaim and commercial success. But Wangchuk says he is tired of constantly answering questions on the movie. “It was not my biopic,” he maintains, adding, “It was only inspired by me.”
‘3 Idiots’ was a film about the friendship of three students at an engineering college and a satire about the social pressures under the Indian education system. Wangchuk became renowned across India when it was revealed that the quirky character of Phunsukh Wangdu (played by Aamir Khan) was based on him.
Starring Aamir Khan, Ranganathan Madhavan and Sharman Joshi as engineering students, the movie won six Filmfare Awards, including the Best Film, and three National Awards, including the Best Popular Film.