100 crores films are not a joke

Is it high time that audience as well as industry alike starts respecting 100 crore earners? Last year when there were a record number of centuries being scored starting from ‘Agneepath’ (January) to ‘Dabangg 2’ (December), many started commenting around this hardly being a phenomenon and just the beginning of a phase that was here to stay. It started seeming to many that there was a formula that just about anyone and everyone could bring in and gain a 100 crore success out of that.

Well, as 2013 so far has shown, one couldn’t have been more wrong. With scarcity of films that have come even close to the 100 crore mark, leave aside crossing it, it is crystal clear that a lot goes into making a 100 crore film than just a A-list cast, 2500+ screens release, massive hype and promotion.

Bollywood 100 crore Films

Bollywood 100 crore Films

The signs were pretty much there at the beginning of the year itself when ‘Race 2’, after a tremendous first week, couldn’t really last long and just about managed to touch the 100 crore mark. A film that was supposed to easily reach the 125 crore mark, it couldn’t really cover the distance despite hit music, good looking cast and cool stunts.

Later ‘Special 26’ was touted to be a 100 crore film as well but that didn’t quite happen. Yes, there was Akshay Kumar leading from the front and the film was well appreciated. However it was proven once again that for a film to be a 100 crore affair, there is a lot more that goes in.

‘Himmatwala’ was touted to be another easy entry into the club for Ajay Devgn who was riding high on multiple centuries being scored by him during the last couple of years. However audience didn’t really step in and allowed that to happen even though all this while the film was expected to just march its way past the 100 crore mark.

Recently ‘Shootout at Wadala’ released and the wait for an elusive 100 crore superhit has only continued. It was felt that John Abraham and Anil Kapoor would make it two in a row as a pair after the century stand in ‘Race 2’. That hasn’t been the case though.

Now compare this with centuries of last year, ‘Ek Tha Tiger’, ‘Dabangg 2’, ‘Agneepath’, ‘Rowdy Rathore’, ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’, ‘Son of Sardaar’, ‘Barfi!’, ‘Housefull 2’ and ‘Bol Bachchan’. For all the ridicule that some or most of these films would have fetched and being addressed as ‘Aah, it is just one of those undeserving 100 crore films’, the fact remains that there was something indeed special about these flicks that allowed them to gain an entry into the exclusive club. There was at least a universal element or two that made audience step into theatres and have a dekko.

Let us give credit to these films and the ones to come where it is due. To bring in footfalls that result in 100 crores coming is not a joke.

It never was! It would never be!

Joginder Tuteja tweets @tutejajoginder

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46 Comments

  • Good article so those who are saying 100-crores can achieve easily think 100-times it is related to star power good story lots of fun good songs it should be complete package movie to bring viewers in cinema hall.

  • Totally agreed! Now I wonder how movies like Dhoom:3, Krrish 3, Thuppakki remake, etc cross the 200 cr mark? The magic of 3 idiots is very difficult to recreate.

    Moreover, Special 26 was a heist-drama film for niche audience and was never touted as a100 cr club entry. However, it did quite well.
    In my opinion, one movie that really deserved to be a member of this club is ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ and one movie that doesn’t deserve to be it’s member is ‘Son of Sardaar’.

  • Totally agreed! Now I wonder how
    movies like Dhoom:3, Krrish 3,
    Thuppakki remake, etc cross the
    200 cr mark? The magic of 3 idiots is very difficult to recreate.
    Moreover, Special 26 was a heist-
    drama film for niche audience and was never touted as a 100 cr club entry. However, it did quite well.
    In my opinion, one movie that really deserved to be a member of this club is ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ and two movies that don’t deserve to be it’s member are ‘Son of Sardaar’ and ‘Dabangg 2’.

  • really nice article,yes being i Akshay Fan i will really appriciate all the movies of Salman which crossed 100 by good margin and stays at top.awesome and mark the word OUATIM will cross the magical figure too

  • Yes 100 crores films are not a joke but still some jokers have made it in 100 crores club by playing the characters of Superheroes,Dons etc.

  • 100 crores club is history now and it is time now for 200 crores club where “3 idiots” is standing alone but this year “Dhoom 3” and “Mental” is ready to give it a company.

  • That,s why salman is bigest superstar in bollywood because his film earns 100 crore in just 6 , 7 days and athor actors film struggle in 10 , 15 days he gave five in a row 100 crore and next one is going 200 crore

  • Yeah,that’s right;100crore films are not jokes. But some films really don’t deserve to be such big hits. Ek tha tiger, Dabangg 2, Houseful 2, Agneepath & Rowdy Rathore were all good in their own ways. They deserved all the credit they got. I haven’t watched Son of Sardar or Bol Bhachchan. But looking at their trailers I feel that they don’t deserve to be 100 crore movies (My personal opinion). Watched Jab Tak Hai Jaan & if not for SRK-Yash Chopra-Katrina-A. R. Rahman combination this wouldn’t have come close to 100 crores. And even if it had I don’t think the movie deserved it.

    Rather than JTHJ, SOS, Bol Bhachchan, I wish films like Special 26, English Vinglish, Vicky donor were big hits.

  • rowdy rathore and hf-2 are undeserved in 100 crore club….rowdy is really sadak chap cheap movie….

  • sos did not cross 100cr….if a producer give false info we should not think it right he has show some prove facts that prove real bussiness…just like rohit shetty confirm that singham did not cross 100cr thogh many think so

  • @tanha you say wrong bollywood is nothing without khans its ok but who is hritic, ap is a multistarer, sanju baba looks, chikni chame li song, but rr col more than ap despite non holiday release, yaah bollywood is nothing without khiladi and khans.

  • Acc to boi sos can’t cross 100cr, same for singham. Then why this films called 100cr film. Yeah officially sos and singham cross 100cr and race2 officially col 105cr, so if sos or singham is a 100cr film then race 2 also a 100cr film remember, producer of tips ramesh taruni says race2 is the first 100cr film for her comapany

  • Who nonsense says k3 cross 200cr, it hardy cross 140cr with positive word of mouth, if get negetive review like ra1 then it can’t cross 100cr, only dhoom3 cross 200cr and i am not surprised if d3 set a new 300cr club beacause amir khan is a creater who create 100cr club, 200cr club and now looking for 300cr club.

  • ZNMD could have bbeen in the list easily but thanks to the producers it couldt ..
    patheic release time .. bomb blast , harry potter release same day, singham next week, murder2 prev week…0 pramotion.. no hype .. still movie did great… easy 100 cr.. thanks to excel

  • 100 cr club was started by Aamir and it will end with Aamir…

    When and not if Dhoom 3 reaches 200 cr club then that will be the next big thing in Bollywood and no longer will we have to endure this childish 100 cr club where every Tom, Dick and Harry claims supremacy.

    Aamir Khan roxXxXx and Dhoom 3 will blow away all comers justling it out in the 100 cr club…!

  • just 4got 100 club n all ! just enjoy movie my friends like latest flick “go goa gone” ….superbbbbb

    ………….deserves 300cr…

  • All films which did 100cr business,had taken my blessing,I gave both Ajay and YRF before a month of Diwali,But Aju filed a case against YRF(they had my blessing too) So I was upset no him.
    This time,before release of “Himmatawala” ,Ajay and Sajid came to me and requested me to give them blessing,I refused,they got down on my feet,after so many ‘Prarthanas’,i agreed to give my blessing them in one condition:They had to wash my feet and drink that as blessing.
    My child Ajay was happily agreed but that bad child Sajid did not agree,he said “my film is already blockbuster and dont need anyone’s blessing”,Aju requested him to do so,but he did not agree,
    I did not give them my blessing.instead I gave a little curse.
    And rest is history…
    (@indicine dont laugh on my english,I worked hard to make it easy so that all can understand it)

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