The 100 crore club has become the norm these days in Bollywood, but not every director makes it to the club. Here’s a look at the directors who made it and the first movie that helped them enter the 100 crore club. Read on.
1. Zoya Akhtar – Gully Boy
Starring Ranveer Singh and Siddhant Chaturvedi, this musical drama marked Zoya Akhtar’s first entry into the 100 crore club. This movie, which is inspired by the lives of street rappers Divine and Naezy, earned more than ₹140 crores and was commercially successful.
2. Rajkumar Hirani – 3 Idiots
This coming-of-age comedy-drama, loosely adapted from Chetan Bhagat’s Five Point Someone, earned ₹201 crores and was Rajkumar Hirani’s first entry into the 100 crore club.
3. Meghna Gulzar – Raazi
After directing Talvar, Meghna Gulzar gave us Raazi, an absolute gem of a movie. Made on a budget of ₹35 crores, this spy thriller bagged earnings of over ₹123 crores, emerging as one of the highest-grossing movies in the country, featuring a female protagonist.
4. Sanjay Leela Bhansali – Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela
Loosely adapted from the 1961 movie West Side Story, this tragic romantic drama marked Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s first official entry into the 100 crores club. Starring Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh in the lead roles, this movie earned ₹117 crores and emerged as the fifth highest-grossing movie of the year.
5. Kabir Khan – Ek Tha Tiger
The director entered the 100 crore club with the first installment of the Tiger movie series. This action thriller was made on a budget of ₹75 crores and grossed over ₹199 crores. This Kabir Khan directorial set a then-record for having the highest-grossing domestic opening weekend with ₹57.9 crores.
6. Rohit Shetty – Golmaal 3
Partially inspired by Basu Chatterjee’s 1978 movie Khatta Meetha, Rohit Shetty made his first official entry into the 100 crore club with the third installment in the Golmaal series. With several award nominations, this action-comedy won several awards and nominations and became the second highest-grossing movie of the year with gross earnings of over ₹108 crores.
7. Karan Johar – Ae Dil Hai Mushkil
Starring Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma and Fawad Khan, this musical romantic drama made Karan Johar’s first official entry into the 100 crore club. Made on a budget of ₹70 crores, the movie earned over ₹237 crores.
8. Farhan Akhtar – Don 2
The second and final installment in the Don series, this action thriller broke several records as soon as it was released. With a gross earning of ₹106 crores, the movie was the second highest-grossing movie of the year, while also becoming Farhan Akhtar’s first entry into the 100 crores club.
9. David Dhawan – Judwaa 2
This action-comedy, which is a reboot of the 1997 movie Judwaa, was David Dhawan’s first entry into the 100 crores club. With a gross earning of ₹138 crores, this movie stars Varun Dhawan in a double role.
10. Sooraj Barjatya – Prem Ratan Dhan Payo
After churning out some blockbuster hits like Hum Aapke Hain Koun and Hum Saath Saath Hain, Sooraj Barjatya made his entry into the 100 crores club with Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. With a total earning of ₹210 crores, this romantic drama was the second highest-grossing movie of the year.