Aamir Khan Said He Didn’t Know Sonam Wangchuk Before 3 Idiots—Then Internet Found This Video

The theory that the popular character played by Aamir Khan called Phunsukh Wangdu (Rancho) from 3 Idiots (2009) has been modelled after the Ladakh engineer and educator Sonam Wangchuk has been seriously dented recently.

Speaking at an event organized by the British Film Institute (BFI) in England, Aamir Khan rubbished the theory calling it a “misconception” and said that neither him nor the screenwriters of 3 Idiots, namely Rajkumar Hirani and Abhijat Joshi, knew who Wangchuk was during the time of filming.

But netizens have unearthed some footage, and now there is a viral video floating around that shows that not only did Aamir Khan know about Wangchuk, but both of them had also met before the release of the movie.

What Did Aamir Khan Claim About Sonam Wangchuk?

Speaking to the audience at the BFI gathering, however, Aamir Khan attempted to clarify a matter which he considered to be a factual mistake, even singling out his fellow actor Omi Vaidya (Chatur Ramalingam).

“No, no. That is a misconception. I didn’t know about Mr Sonam at that time when we were doing the film, 3 Idiots,” Khan stated. “I know I saw a video of Chatur recently. He is wrong. Maybe that’s what Chatur is thinking. Neither Raju nor Abhijat Joshi… nor I—we didn’t know about Mr Sonam.”

While Aamir went on to extol Wangchuk for his activism and reforms in the education sector, his denial of having known the educator even as a total stranger left many wondering online.

The Resurfaced Video: What Happened in 2008?

Aamir khan met Sonam wangchuk in 2008 at CNN IBN event (clip attached) pic.twitter.com/1egmiITpn8

— Shubh (@kadaipaneeer) July 17, 2026

Almost immediately after Aamir’s remarks, social media users dug out a snippet from one of the presentations delivered by Sonam Wangchuk himself. In the video, Sonam Wangchuk is presented an award for his revolutionary contributions towards education in Ladakh. The camera turns to the audience, where we see Aamir Khan and his wife, Kiran Rao, clapping for Sonam Wangchuk’s speech.

Moreover, Sonam Wangchuk mentioned that at this event, he had personally pitched a movie idea to Aamir Khan regarding the Siachen border issue, where he said money spent on war should be spent on education. According to Wangchuk, Aamir listened to him and observed his presentation.

Did the ‘3 Idiots’ Crew Visit Wangchuk’s School?

Adding insult to injury, Wangchuk had earlier divulged information concerning the production process of 3 Idiots.

Wangchuk reveals in the video footage how, after his encounter with Aamir, he travelled to France to pursue earth architecture studies. During this time, film producers made an effort to visit Wangchuk’s Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL) school campus.

However, because of the secretive nature of the producers and plastic waste in the environment, the school did not allow filming on its premises. The filming was then taken to another school in Ladakh whose building would later be used in the film’s climax scene. After the release of 3 Idiots in December 2009, Wangchuk received congratulatory messages from friends who mistakenly thought the character of Rancho was modelled on Wangchuk.

How Did the Internet React to the Contradiction?

The quick exposure of the 2008 video clip has polarized netizens, who are critical of the superstar’s apparent inability to be honest and transparent about the matter.

Several social media users alleged Aamir of being aloof from Wangchuk in order to stay away from politics, as Wangchuk was known for conducting high-profile hunger strikes and environmental protests in Ladakh. These detractors noted that sitting at the front row during an award ceremony where an elaborate audio-visual documentary of Wangchuk’s life is shown makes it unlikely that he “has never heard of” him.

Some of the fans have contended that going to an overcrowded award ceremony does not necessarily mean that Aamir knew Wangchuk personally or had used his persona while creating the fictional character of Rancho in the film. These supporters of the actor have stressed that the quirks of Rancho were created by adapting Chetan Bhagat’s novel “Five Point Someone”.

Neither Aamir Khan nor director Rajkumar Hirani has made any subsequent comments on the newly found 2008 video clip.

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