Aamir Khan Breaks Years of Silence on ‘3 Idiots’ Mystery

News Desk 

Mumbai: Bollywood star Aamir Khan has dismissed the long-standing belief that his iconic “3 Idiots” character Rancho (Phunsukh Wangdu) was inspired by education reformer and social activist Sonam Wangchuk, calling the claim a “misunderstanding.”

Speaking during a special screening of “Lagaan” at the closing ceremony of the London Indian Film Festival, Aamir said neither he, director Rajkumar Hirani nor writer Abhijat Joshi knew Wangchuk while making the 2009 blockbuster.

“This is not true. We did not know Mr. Sonam when we were making ‘3 Idiots.’ Neither Rajkumar Hirani, Abhijat Joshi nor I knew him at that time,” Aamir said, rejecting years of speculation linking the character to Wangchuk.

The actor’s clarification came after he was asked about Wangchuk’s ongoing hunger strike and the widely held belief that the educationist inspired Rancho. Aamir said the misconception may have been reinforced by comments from actor Omi Vaidya, who played Chatur in the film, but stressed that the claim was factually incorrect.

Aamir praised Wangchuk’s contributions to education and social causes, saying his work deserves recognition on its own merit.

“The work Mr. Sonam is doing is commendable in its own right. There is no need to connect him to a character from ‘3 Idiots’ to appreciate his contributions,” he said.

The actor also expressed concern over Wangchuk’s health amid reports of his ongoing hunger strike, wishing him a speedy recovery and hoping the situation is resolved peacefully.

Wangchuk himself has previously addressed the speculation, saying he neither fully accepted nor rejected claims that the film was inspired by his life.

Released in 2009, “3 Idiots” remains one of the biggest hits in Indian cinema. Aamir’s latest remarks, however, appear to put to rest the long-running assumption that Rancho’s character was based on Sonam Wangchuk.