Rancho from “3 Idiots” is undeniably one of the most beloved characters in Aamir Khan’s career. Surprisingly, Khan initially had some doubts before accepting the role of an engineering student.

Known for his meticulous approach, Aamir Khan recently featured on an episode of “The Great Indian Kapil Show,” where he discussed his professional journey, various projects, personal life, children, and much more.

Aamir Khan Revealed why He Wasn’t Too Convinced About Playing Rancho In 3 Idiots

During his chat with comedian Kapil Sharma, Aamir recalled that he was initially uninterested in playing the role of the 18-year-old boy Ranchhoddas Shamaldas Chanchad, also known as Rancho, in Rajkumar Hirani’s “3 Idiots.” However, it was director Rajkumar Hirani who convinced Aamir to say yes to the role. Aamir Khan revealed:

“I wasn’t even doing  3 Idiots because I thought the public would laugh at me as I was turning 44 and I am playing the role of an 18-year-old boy. It would be weird.”

He added: ”I told Raju to take three youngsters but he was after me. I hadn’t worked with Raju till then. I was a big fan but the story he brought me, I was like how will I play this young character,”

Rajkumar Hirani’s 2009 coming-of-age drama “3 Idiots” is one of Aamir’s biggest hits of his career, grossing around Rs 400 crore (Rs 4 billion) at the worldwide box office.

During his conversation, Aamir also explained why he turned down the opportunity to play the role of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. Sharing his views on the same, Aamir Khan revealed:

“Bhagat Singh ji is a very important historical figure. He was a unique human being. What he did at the age of 22-23, we can’t even think about it. His courage. He was fearless. That’s a very rare quality. Its beauty was that you see a young 23-year-old on the witness stand, whose mustache has not sprouted, making such big statements. If I stood there, I was already turning 40 at the time, it wouldn’t have looked good. That quality of a young guy saying such things won’t come to me. That’s why I didn’t do it.”