'Rancho' was not inspired by Sonam Wangchuk:Rajkumar Hirani revealed the character was based on an FTII student

More than 15 years after the release of 3 Idiots, one claim continues to resurface—that the film's iconic character, Rancho (also known as Phunsukh Wangdu), was inspired by education reformer Sonam Wangchuk. Over the years, the belief has become so widespread that many now accept it as fact. However, statements made by the filmmakers and the available evidence suggest the connection may not be as straightforward as it appears. Why do people compare Rancho with Sonam Wangchuk? The comparison largely stems from a few noticeable similarities. Both Rancho and Sonam Wangchuk are engineers who have dedicated themselves to education, run innovative schools, and are closely associated with Ladakh. The character's real name in the film—Phunsukh Wangdu—has also led many viewers to draw parallels with Wangchuk. However, the similarities end there. For most of 3 Idiots, Rancho's journey is entirely fictional. He is portrayed as a brilliant student who attends an engineering college under the identity of a wealthy man's son. The story focuses on college life, friendship, academic pressure, and his criticism of the conventional education system. It is only in the film's final act that Rancho is revealed to be running a school in Ladakh—a detail that has fuelled comparisons with Sonam Wangchuk over the years. Timeline raises questions about the claim The timeline surrounding the film also raises doubts about the widely circulated claim. Records show that the script of 3 Idiots was registered with the Screenwriters Association on August 1, 2007. Publicly available information indicates that Aamir Khan and Sonam Wangchuk first met in April 2008, several months after the screenplay had already been registered. This chronology has led many to question how the character could have been based on Sonam Wangchuk if the script had already been completed before the two ever met. What did the filmmakers say? Both writer Abhijat Joshi and director-co-writer Rajkumar Hirani have addressed the issue in multiple interviews. According to them, the inspiration for Rancho came from a real-life incident involving a student at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). They revealed that the student had enrolled at the institute using another person's identity—not to earn a degree, but simply because he wanted to learn. The unusual incident inspired the central idea behind Rancho's character, rather than the life story of Sonam Wangchuk. Filmmakers denied any direct link to Sonam Wangchuk The makers of 3 Idiots have repeatedly maintained that Rancho was not based on Sonam Wangchuk. Writer Abhijat Joshi and director Rajkumar Hirani have said they never met Wangchuk while developing the film. Aamir Khan has also consistently stated that Rancho was not inspired by Wangchuk's life. No such claim during the film's promotion When 3 Idiots was released in 2009, neither its promotional campaign nor its trailers, press conferences or interviews described Rancho as being based on Sonam Wangchuk. Had the character officially been inspired by him, such a detail would likely have featured in the film's publicity. However, no such evidence exists in the public record. How did the comparison become popular? The association appears to have gained traction after the film's release. According to media reports, discussions in 2010 highlighted similarities between Rancho and Sonam Wangchuk, particularly among people in Ladakh. Early reports presented the resemblance as a possibility rather than a confirmed fact. Over the years, however, several media outlets, social media posts and public discussions began referring to Wangchuk as the "real-life Rancho." As the comparison was repeated, it gradually became accepted by many as fact. Questions still remain Despite the widespread belief, several questions remain unanswered. Did the filmmakers have any interaction with Sonam Wangchuk before writing the script? Did they ever visit his school or draw inspiration from his work? Was there any official statement in 2009 linking Rancho to Wangchuk? Based on the information currently available, the comparison between Rancho and Sonam Wangchuk appears to have evolved over time rather than being part of the film's original narrative or promotional campaign. While the two share certain similarities, there is no conclusive public evidence to establish that the character was directly based on Wangchuk's life.