Sonam Wangchuk, inspiration behind Aamir Khan’s Rancho in 3 Idiots, says he couldn’t connect with the character: ‘I am much more beautiful’

Aamir Khan’s 3 Idiots remains to be one of the most iconic films of Hindi cinema, not only capturing the hearts of the domestic audience but also leaving a significant impact internationally, particularly in China and South Korea, where parental influence on career decisions is pronounced. The Rajkumar Hirani directorial shared a powerful message of allowing children to carve their own professional paths through Aamir Khan’s character of Rancho, which was inspired by real-life engineer, innovator, and education reformist Sonam Wangchuk.

In a recent interview with The Lallantop, Wangchuk shared his perspective on 3 Idiots, acknowledging that he had watched the film. He also shared the reason behind not completely relating to the character of Rancho. He said, “Yes, I have watched the film. It was a nice film with a good message.”

When asked about his perceived disconnect from the character of Rancho, Wangchuk humorously said, “Main toh kya kisi aur ne kaha ki aap ye boliye ki film mein jo kirdar dikha rahi hai mein unse bahut zyaada khoobsurat hu. Mein kaise inse jodo khud ko (What do I say but somebody else told me to say that I am a lot more beautiful than the character shown in the film. So how do I attach myself with that character?)”

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3 Idiots, produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and featuring R Madhavan and Sharman Joshi alongside Aamir Khan, achieved tremendous success. It held the title of the highest-grossing Indian film until 2013 and stood as the most successful Indian film of the 2000s. The film also bagged three National Awards.