45 gets a second life
HL: 45 gets a second life
Strap: At its core 45 is a spiritual concept drawn from Sanatana Dharma; the belief surrounding the 45-day period after death
OB Bureau
After a muted run at the box office, Kannada fantasy action drama 45 is gearing up for a second chance; this time on the digital stage. The film, which brought together heavyweight stars Shivarajkumar, Upendra and Raj B Shetty, hit theatres during Christmas amid high expectations but failed to translate its ambition into big numbers. Now, with its OTT release locked, 45 is hoping to strike a chord with audiences who missed it on the big screen.
The makers have confirmed that 45 will premiere on January 23, marking its post-theatrical debut. The Kannada version will be available on the platform, though there is no official confirmation yet on the digital release of its dubbed editions. Industry watchers believe the OTT outing could give the film a far wider reach, especially among viewers more receptive to unconventional storytelling.
45 marks the directorial debut of Arjun Janya, one of Kannada cinema’s most successful music composers. Known for chart-topping soundtracks, Janya stepped behind the camera with a story that blends mythology, belief and human emotion. At its core is a spiritual concept drawn from Sanatana Dharma; the belief surrounding the 45-day period after death, when a soul’s future journey is said to be determined.
In earlier interviews, Janya described the project as deeply personal. The loss of his brother during the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with his own health struggles, led him to reflect on mortality and the unknown beyond life. Those reflections became the emotional spine of 45, which approaches its fantastical premise through a grounded, human lens rather than pure spectacle.
Within the film, Raj B Shetty’s character anchors the spiritual conflict, while Shivarajkumar and Upendra stand on opposing ideological poles. Their clash drives the narrative, with Shetty’s restrained performance emerging as one of the film’s most appreciated elements.
Produced by Ramesh Reddy under the Suraj Productions banner, 45 was mounted as a pan-India project and released in five languages, backed by major distribution houses. While its theatrical journey may have stumbled, 45 now looks to OTT audiences to give its ideas, ambition and soul a fresh lease of life.