The renewed spotlight on ‘3 Idiots’ has revived one of Bollywood’s longest-running debates. who was the real inspiration behind Rancho, the film’s iconic protagonist? While many link the character to a famous educational reformer over the years, the filmmaker Rajkumar Hiraniproducer: Vidhu Vinod Chopra and actor: Aamir Khan everyone gives different explanations about the origin of Phunsukh Wangdu, which makes the mystery even more interesting.
Aamir Khan defies popular belief
The discussion resurfaced after Omi Vaidya, who played Chatur in ‘3 Idiots’, came out in support of: Sonam Wangchuk during his ongoing hunger strike by saying, “I don’t want Phunsukh Wangdu to die.” His statement changed the assumption that the central character of the film was based on Wangchuk.However, speaking at an interaction at BFI Southbank in London, Aamir Khan dismissed that speculation. “Neither Raju and Abhijat, who are the writers of the film, nor I knew about Sonam at the time we were making ‘3 Idiots’.” Calling the belief a misconception, Aamir clarified that the makers did not know Wangchuk while developing the film.
Rajkumar Hirani traces Rancho’s roots to FTII
Director Rajkumar Hirani had previously talked about Rancho’s origins in an interview with Komal Nahta. According to him, the philosophy behind the character stems from his days at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).Looking back on the experience, Hirani said, “I always thought that there are so many interesting stories here that in the future should be shown in films.” He then recounted the story of an FTII aspirant who reportedly attended classes under the identity of another student just because he wanted to learn filmmaking.Explaining why the incident stuck with him, Hirani recalled the student’s response after the course. “I really don’t want to. I just want to learn how to make a film.” The filmmaker said that this belief that education is about learning instead of certificates became one of the foundations of Rancho’s character, with some real-life incidents eventually shaping the screenplay.
Vidhu Vinod Chopra says that Rancho reflects his own life
Producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra, however, has presented a different account over the years. During a session at NFDC’s Film Bazaar in 2014, Chopra admitted that Rancho was inspired by her personal journey. “Rancho’s character is based on me. It was inspired by my life.”He revealed that he rarely attended class during his FTII days and even failed his final exam. Years later, after earning an Oscar nomination for ‘An Encounter With Faces’, the institute invited him back and honored him by presenting his passing certificate. Chopra also shared that her family wanted her to become a doctor, while she secretly pursued filmmaking.Recalling the moment when she finally confessed to her father, she said, “I thought he was going to congratulate me. Instead, he looked at me and said, ‘You fooled me,’ and gave me a slap with love and affection.”
Another inspiration behind Phunsukh Wangdu:
Years after claiming that Rancho was based on his own life, Chopra added another dimension to the story. At the Himalayan Film Festival in Ladakh in 2021, he revealed that the character’s full name, Phunsukh Wangdu, was inspired by his former classmate at FTII, Phuntsok, who affectionately called him “Phunsok Ladakhi.”
A debate that refuses to go away
Released in 2009, ‘3 Idiots’ is officially adapted from Chetan Bhagat’s novel ‘Five Point Someone’. Since then, discussions about Rancho’s real-life inspiration have continued for more than a decade.With Aamir Khan now repeating that neither he nor the film’s writers were aware of Sonam Wangchuk during the making of the blockbuster, and Rajkumar Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra offering different accounts over the years, the true inspiration behind one of India’s most beloved characters remains open to interpretation.