An Old clip of Sonam Wangchuk resurfaced after Aamir Khan's recent clarification on 3 Idiots.
Wangchuk claimed he met Aamir Khan during a Mumbai event in 2008.
Conflicting accounts have reignited debate over Rancho's real-life inspiration without resolving it.
Aamir Khan's recent statement that he did not know Sonam Wangchuk during the making of 3 Idiots has sparked fresh debate after an old video of the education reformer resurfaced online. In the clip, Wangchuk claimed he met the actor in 2008 and discussed education as well as the possibility of making a film about the Siachen conflict.
What Sonam Wangchuk clacimed in the Old video
In the resurfaced clip, Wangchuk said he met Aamir Khan at an event in Mumbai in 2008, where he suggested making a film highlighting the conflict in Siachen and redirecting resources towards education. He also claimed that Aamir watched an audio-visual presentation showcasing his work.
According to Sonam Wangchuk, he was later surprised when people told him that 3 Idiots appeared to be based on his life and featured his school. He further claimed that a film crew had visited his campus but eventually shot at another nearby school after permission was declined.
Aamir Khan's clarification sparks online debate
Speaking during an interaction at the British Film Institute (BFI), Aamir Khan maintained that neither he nor writers Rajkumar Hirani and Abhijat Joshi knew Sonam Wangchuk while developing 3 Idiots. He described the long-standing belief linking Wangchuk to Rancho as a misconception while adding that Wangchuk's work deserved recognition regardless of any connection to the film.
The resurfaced video has since triggered widespread discussion on social media. While some users argued that Wangchuk's account appears inconsistent with Aamir's recent remarks, others noted that meeting someone briefly does not necessarily mean a character was based on that individual.
The differing accounts have once again revived one of Bollywood's longest-running debates over the origins of Rancho.
