Gitanjali Angmo, wife of activist Sonam Wangchuk, posts praise for Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” while also suggesting Bollywood should return to a more educational role. In her social media message, she says watching the film felt “surreal,” describing familiar themes in Indian imagination such as the hero’s journey, dharma and destiny, exile, temptation, and homecoming. She argues that cinema can shape minds and describes it as “one of our most powerful classrooms.” She adds that India has a “treasure-house” of epics and calls for them to be brought to the screen with scale, sensitivity, and intellectual depth.
The comments come amid ongoing public attention on Wangchuk’s demands for examination reforms, following a hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. In separate related reporting, actor Aamir Khan has denied that his film “3 Idiots” was inspired by Wangchuk, with an earlier resurfaced video of Khan meeting Wangchuk. While Aamir is reported as denying any connection, another “3 Idiots” actor, Omi Vaidya, has been cited as supportive of Wangchuk.
