Score card: (From top) Stills from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Ek Tha Tiger and 3 Idiots

It was the movie everyone was waiting for. And Karan Johar’s Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (YJHD) lived up to the great expectations. On the very first day of its release, it grossed Rs 19.45 crore — soaring to the fifth spot in the Top 10 list of the biggest openers at the domestic box office.

The Ranbir Kapoor-Deepika Padukone starrer went on to earn Rs 62.11 crore in India in its first weekend, displacing Dabangg 2 (Rs 61 crore) as the numero uno weekend grosser. In the US and Canada, it topped the $1-million-mark in three days, taking the eighth position in the Top 10 weekend charts alongside the Hollywood biggies.

And that was just the beginning…

It sustained its exceptional start through the week and crashed into the Rs 100-crore club in the first week itself. “This is a feat no other film has achieved in a seven-day, no-holiday window,” exults Gaurav Verma, director, India Theatrical Distribution, Studios, Disney UTV, who co-produced and distributed the film in India.

So far, 3 Idiots (2009) has been the only Hindi movie to have crossed the Rs 200-crore mark — grossing Rs 202 crore — in India. Internationally, of course, Hindi films have collected more than Rs 200 crore. But for the domestic box office, it’s a record. And now the jubilant film trade expects YJHD to break this four-year record. “If a film enjoys universal acceptance, there is no limitation on the business,” Verma stresses.

Films have been inching close to the Rs 200-crore mark for some time now in the domestic market. Last year, nine films (see chart) raced past the Rs 100-crore benchmark. Now producers are eyeing a double century.

“Bollywood is definitely poised to enter the Rs 200-crore club,” asserts Bhushan Kumar, chairman and managing director, T-Series. “Multiplexes are coming up even in the smaller cities and actors are promoting their films more aggressively there,” he points out. “The focus these days is more on publicity than the story,” agrees trade analyst Amod Mehra. “As a result films have a short shelf life and filmmakers have to depend on the first 10 days’ collection.”

Kumar, however, maintains that smaller films make bigger profits. Star remuneration, foreign locations and high production costs cut the gains for biggies while small budget films such as his Aashiqui 2, which grossed Rs 100 crore worldwide last month, make a huge recovery.

But Mehra doesn’t believe that Bollywood will see too many Rs 200-crore grossers this year. “Except for big selling franchises, Krrish 3 and Dhoom 3, I don’t see any other scoring a double this year,” he says.

Devang Sampat, head (Strategic Initiatives), Cinepolis India Pvt. Ltd, is more optimistic. He expects YJHD to score a double because, he points out, the first week’s collection is usually 50 per cent of what a film finally ends up making. He is equally confident that Krrish 3, Dhoom 3, Chennai Express and Once Upon A Time in Mumbaii Again will enter this elite club.

“New-age marketing, along with more screens and higher ticket rates, has increased both supply and demand,” he holds.

Sunil Punjabi, business head, AXN India, endorses Sampat’s view. He points out that PVR alone added 60-70 high-end quality screens in the last year and increased ticket prices from an average of Rs 150 to Rs 175. Ditto INOX and Cinepolis. “This has resulted in higher growth in terms of revenue generated. The market too has grown along with the size of the releases and people are also watching more films.”

“Had 3 Idiots been released today, it would have done a business of Rs 300-Rs 350 crore,” Punjabi insists.

Punjabi expects YJHD’s success to continue with the next few big releases because 2013 hasn’t had too many mega releases in the first quarter and people are eager to step out of their homes. The consumer interest will be at its peak during Diwali and Christmas and that makes him optimistic about the festival releases. “Krrish 3 is a superhero film, a genre that’s always worked in India, and Dhoom 3 brings Aamir Khan and YRF back after years. They can’t fail,” he asserts.

Rafique Gangjee, vice-president, marketing and communications, YRF (the studio behind Dhoom 3) plays down the hype. “We sincerely hope that 2013 flags off the year of great content. All other clubs become insignificant when compared to this,” he says.

It is content, agrees writer-director-actor Ananth Mahadevan, that ensures classics such as Sholay, Deewar and Amar Akbar Antony stay evergreen. “Tickets then priced at Rs 5 are selling for Rs 500 today. Films then ran for 25 weeks with 21 shows a week; today they get 21 shows a day but few last longer than a couple of weeks,” he says. “Records are meant to be broken and figures topped but I don’t know how many of these Rs 100-200 crore earners will be around for 100 years like their predecessors.”

Rs 100 crore plus in 2012

Ek Tha Tiger: Rs 198cr
Dabangg 2: Rs 155cr
Rowdy Rathore: Rs 131cr
Barfi!: Rs 126cr
Agneepath: Rs 123cr
Jab Tak Hai Jaan: Rs 122cr
Housefull 2: Rs 114cr
Son Of Sardaar: Rs 105cr
Bol Bachchan: Rs 102cr