Rajkumar Hirani linked Rancho to an anonymous FTII student's remarkable real-life experience.
Vidhu Vinod Chopra later claimed Rancho reflected both his life and Phuntsok's name.
Aamir Khan denied Sonam Wangchuk inspired Rancho, reviving the long-running debate.
The debate over who inspired 3 Idiots' Rancho has resurfaced after Aamir Khan dismissed the long-standing belief that Sonam Wangchuk was the real-life inspiration behind the beloved character. While the actor recently said neither he nor the film's writers knew Wangchuk during the making of the film, comments made over the years by Rajkumar Hirani, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Wangchuk himself have painted a far more layered picture.
Rajkumar Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra offered different versions
Speaking to Komal Nahta last year, Rajkumar Hirani said Rancho's outlook on education was inspired by an anonymous former FTII student who attended the institute under a friend's identity simply because he wanted to learn filmmaking. According to Hirani, several real-life incidents were eventually combined to shape the character.
Vidhu Vinod Chopra, however, gave a different account during an appearance at NFDC's Film Bazaar in 2014. It was stated by the filmmaker that Rancho was largely based on his own life, recalling how he frequently skipped classes at FTII, failed his final examination and later received his certificate after earning an Academy Award nomination.
Years later, at the Himalayan Film Festival in Ladakh, Chopra also acknowledged that the character's full name, Phunsukh Wangdu, was inspired by his former FTII classmate, Phuntsok.
Sonam Wangchuk and Aamir Khan differ on the connection
Sonam Wangchuk has consistently maintained that the filmmakers visited his school before 3 Idiots released and that he wrote to them afterwards without receiving a response. He has also said people began identifying him with Rancho only after the film's release.
Aamir Khan, however, recently described the connection as a misconception, saying neither he nor writers Rajkumar Hirani and Abhijat Joshi knew Wangchuk while making the film. His remarks have once again revived one of Bollywood's longest-running debates over the real-life inspirations behind Rancho.
