Kannada cinema heavyweights Shiva Rajkumar, Upendra, and Raj B. Shetty come together for the fantasy action drama 45. Released in Kannada theaters in December 2025, the film has now reached Telugu audiences as a New Year release. While the concept sounds intriguing on paper, the final result struggles to live up to its ambition.
Overview:
| Movie | 45 |
| Release Date | Jan 01, 2026 |
| Rating | 2.5/5 |
| Starring | Shiva Rajkumar, Upendra, Raj B. Shetty, Kaustubha Mani, Jisshu Sengupta |
| Director | Arjun Janya |
| Producer | M. Ramesh Reddy |
| Music Director | Arjun Janya |
| Cinematographer | Satya Hegde |
| Editor | K. M. Prakash |
| Related Link (Trailer) | Watch |
Story:
Vinay (Raj B. Shetty) works as a software professional and is haunted by a disturbing dream in which he dies after hitting a dog in a bike accident. What begins as a nightmare soon starts unfolding in real life.
The dog, named Rossy, belongs to Rayappa (Upendra) — a ruthless gangster who treats the animal like his own mother. Furious over Rossy’s death, Rayappa holds Vinay responsible and assaults him mercilessly. He then delivers a terrifying ultimatum: Vinay has exactly 45 days to live.
From that moment, Vinay’s life spirals out of control. He loses his job, his relationship falls apart, and even his friends abandon him. Emotionally shattered and counting his final days, Vinay unexpectedly meets Shiva (Shiva Rajkumar) — a composed, charitable man who offers him guidance and support.
Who Shiva truly is, what drives him to help Vinay, and whether Rayappa ultimately keeps his word form the crux of the narrative.
Plus Points:
- For Arjun Janya, this film marks a notable achievement as his directorial debut. Convincing three major Kannada stars to share screen space is no small feat, and the character designs are clearly thought out.
- Raj B. Shetty delivers a grounded and convincing performance. His portrayal of fear, desperation, and emotional collapse feels authentic and effective.
- Upendra steps into a villainous role, and his stylish appearance and action-heavy scenes cater well to his fan base.
- Shiva Rajkumar, who appears in the latter half, brings a calm and dignified presence, delivering a restrained performance.
- The opening portions are engaging and structured well enough to keep the audience curious.
- The climax fight sequence, featuring different divine forms confronting Rayappa, is visually appealing and stands out as the film’s strongest moment.
Minus Points:
- Although the film begins on a promising note, the pace gradually slows down. Scenes begin to feel repetitive, and the narrative drags at a sluggish pace. Unfortunately, this issue continues into the second half as well, right until the climax.
- Despite having a powerful cast, the character arcs lack depth. The writing fails to explore the potential of its lead characters, making their presence feel underutilized.
- The screenplay loses its grip soon after the initial setup, and the sense of urgency fades quickly.
- The comedy sequences involving Shiva Rajkumar fail to click and feel out of place, interrupting the otherwise serious tone of the story.
- Upendra’s scenes follow a repetitive pattern — entry, warning, fight, and exit — which becomes predictable and monotonous over time.
- The film attempts to convey the concept of karma in a modern setting, but the emotional depth required to support this theme is missing. Stronger writing could have elevated the message significantly.
- Supporting characters lack importance, and even the emotional thread involving Vinay’s mother — which creates some impact before the interval — is largely abandoned afterward. Several scenes feel disconnected and incomplete.
Technical Aspects:
Director Arjun Janya aims to present karmic themes in a unique way, but weak writing and underdeveloped characters limit the film’s effectiveness. The production values suggest a hefty budget, especially for VFX, yet the visuals fail to impress on the big screen.
The climax is decent but not memorable. The background score, composed by Janya himself, is overly loud and works only in select moments. K. M. Prakash’s editing is one of the film’s weakest areas, as many unnecessary and lag-inducing scenes could have been trimmed to reduce the runtime. Overall production quality is acceptable but not remarkable.
Final Review:
45 turns out to be a middling film despite its ambitious premise. Poor writing and an uneven screenplay prevent it from reaching its full potential. While the lead actors deliver decent performances, weak character development, unnecessary scenes, and pacing issues make the experience underwhelming. Apart from the climax, the film offers very few memorable moments. Viewers may want to explore better alternatives this New Year.
