The term ₹100-crore club entered the Bollywood lexicon at the end of the 2000s when films such as Ghajini and 3 Idiots crossed that milestone in the domestic territory. It soon became the benchmark to measure an Indian film's success. However, contrary to popular perception, Ghajini or Om Shanti Om were not the first Indian films to earn ₹100 crore at the box office. That happened way back in the 80s, and the said film did not even star one of the more conventional superstars like Amitabh Bachchan or Rishi Kapoor. 

India's first ₹100-crore film

Babbar Subhash's musical drama Disco Dancer is the surprise answer to the trivia - which was the first Indian film to gross ₹100 crore at the box office. The reason why Disco Dancer is not considered part of the so-called 100 Crore Club is because the bulk of its earnings came from overseas. The film, which starred Mithun Chakraborty as the titular musical star, earned ₹6.4 crore in India, a healthy amount for the time. But it was its success in the Soviet Union that made it a global blockbuster. Upon its release in Russia in 1984 (two years after its India release), it sold over 12 crore tickets there, becoming the biggest hit in the country that year. It earned 60 million roubles ( ₹94.28 crore), taking its global haul to ₹100.68 crore. With this, Disco Dancer beat Sholay to become the highest-grossing Indian film and also the first to hit the ₹100-crore mark.

Mithun Chakraborty, the film's star, became a cult figure in the Soviet Union. For years, Disco Dancer was a cultural phenomenon in Russia and China with its songs - particularly Jimmy Jimmy, chartbusters. Even today, many film clubs in Russia screen Disco Dancer as part of their 'vintage' screenings. Apart from Mithun, Disco Dancer also starred Rajesh Khanna and Kim, along with Om Puri, Gita Siddharth, and Karan Razdan in supporting roles. Bappi Lahiri's funky, disco tunes added to the film's charm.

Other early ₹100-crore films

Disco Dancer paved the way for Indian films to reach the ₹100-crore mark with the help of overseas collections. In 1994, Hum Aapke Hain Koun shattered records with its ₹128-crore haul, and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge followed suit with ₹103 crore the following year. Other films that also crossed the ₹100-crore mark include Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Gadar, Dhoom 2, Krrish, and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. All these films had a substantial portion of their box office gross coming from foreign markets. In 2008, Ghajini netted ₹120 crore in India alone, and the 100-crore club was formed.

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