Kiran Rao expressed her support for Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike, now in its 20th day, and changed her Instagram account and urged the government to engage in dialogue. This comes after Aamir Khan clarified that his character in ‘3 Idiots’ Rancho was not based on Wangchuk. Many celebrities and digital creators also supported the activist’s protest.
Filmmaker Kiran Rao has extended her support to climate activist Sonam Wangchuk amid his indefinite hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, urging the government to start a dialogue with protesters. Her statement came shortly after Aamir Khan clarified that his famous ‘3 Idiots’ character Rancho was not based on Wangchuk, while still expressing concern over the activist’s health.
As the Wangchuk Fast enters its 20th day, support from celebrities and public figures continues to grow. Wangchuk, the climate activist and education reformer whose life story inspired Aamir Khan’s iconic character Rancho in the film “3 Idiots”, has been observing an indefinite fast at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, demanding that Ladakh be included in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
The expanded strike sparked growing concern across the country.
Kiran Rao is showing support on social media
Joining other celebrities who supported Sonam Wangchuk, Kiran Rao also expressed her concern over the deteriorating health of the activist during his hunger strike. To show her support, she changed her display picture on Instagram to a photo of Wangchuk with the message, “I support Sonam.”“I stand in solidarity with Sonam Wangchuk, Abhijit Debaki, CJP and all citizens of this country, young and old, who are protesting for the rights of our students,” she wrote in her note.
Salute to Sonam ji, Neha, Manish, Amin and all the others for going on a hunger strike to make sure justice is done. Our nation is indebted to you for bringing us out of our apathy and reminding us that every vote counts.
““It is extremely sad to witness the complete silence with which this hunger strike has been met, even after 19 days. What will it take for those in power to listen to the people? … It is shocking and inhumane,” Kiran added.
I urge the government to engage in dialogue with the demonstrators, to understand the students’ pain, and to end this impasse. We the people have the right to have our voice heard. #sonamwangchuk #neet #cockroachjanataparty.
“
Aamir Khan’s clarification regarding Rancho from the movie 3 Idiots
Rao’s gesture of support comes on the heels of Aamir recently weighing in on the popular belief that his character Rancho in 3 Idiots was modeled on Sonam Wangchuk. The actor explained that this widely held assumption is inaccurate, explaining that neither he nor the film’s writers knew about Wangchuk while working on the 2009 blockbuster.
However, Amer expressed genuine concern about the activist’s deteriorating health, and said he hoped Wangchuk would end his indefinite fast soon.
Other celebrities are offering support
Many other film personalities, including Abhay Deol, Prakash Raj,
Sony Razdan
Atul Kulkarni and Anurag Kashyap also lent their support, while digital content creators like Bhuvan Bam and Munawwar Farooqi also lent their support.
Ashish Chanchlani
Purav Jha helped spread his message on social media.