Who was the real inspiration for Rancho from ‘3 Idiots’? Not Sonam Wangchuk, but the story of a mysterious student of FTII gave birth to Aamir Khan’s iconic character.
Amid Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike, Aamir Khan’s superhit film ‘3 Idiots’ has once again come into discussion. Questions again started being raised on social media whether the film’s famous character Phunsukh Wangdu aka Rancho was actually based on Sonam Wangchuk? However, Aamir Khan himself and director Rajkumar Hirani have already answered this question. Both of them clarified that Rancho was not directly inspired by Sonam Wangchuk. Rather, the real inspiration for this character was the story of an FTII student who changed his entire identity just for the sake of learning.
Was Rancho really based on Sonam Wangchuk?
For years, it was believed that Aamir Khan’s character Phunsukh Wangdu (Rancho) in ‘3 Idiots’ was inspired by education reformer Sonam Wangchuk. But Sonam Wangchuk has clarified many times that some aspects of her life and work may be reflected in the film, but Rancho is not completely based on her. Recently, Aamir Khan also termed this notion as a ‘misunderstanding’ and said that neither he nor the writer-director Sonam Wangchuk knew while making the film.
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On whom is the character Rancho of ‘3 Idiots’ based?
A few years ago, film director Rajkumar Hirani had revealed this mystery in a conversation with film trade analyst Komal Nahta. He told that the real inspiration behind Rancho was a student of FTII (Film and Television Institute of India), whose name he has not made public even today. According to Rajkumar Hirani, the student wanted to become a filmmaker, but he did not get admission in FTII. On the other hand, one of his friends got selected, but his family did not allow him to study in the institute. In such a situation, the student adopted the identity of his friend and completed his filmmaking studies under the same name for three years.
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Why did you complete your studies without a certificate?
Rajkumar Hirani told that no one came to know about this for three years. At the end of the course, when people told him that he would not get any degree or certificate, he replied, “I never wanted a certificate. I just wanted to learn filmmaking.” According to Hirani, “This thought inspired me the most, because education is not just about getting a degree or certificate, but about learning.” Hirani said,
I always felt that there were so many interesting stories in FTII that a film should be made on them someday. The hostel life there and many real incidents later became a part of ‘3 Idiots’. Aamir’s character was inspired by a student from our film school, whose name I can’t tell.
What did Aamir Khan say on Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike?
Aamir Khan expressed concern over Sonam Wangchuk’s indefinite hunger strike at the London Indian Film Festival. He said that people have long believed that Rancho was based on him, but this is a misunderstanding. Aamir also praised Sonam Wangchuk’s contribution in the field of education and innovation and appealed to her to end her fast.