45 final box office: Here’s how much Arjun Janya’s debut directorial made in theatres before OTT debut

45 on OTT: Starring Shivarajkumar, Upendra and Raj B Shetty in the lead, 45 hit theatres in a clash with Kiccha Sudeep’s Mark. 45’s spiritual theme did not catch the fancy of audiences

Shivarajkumar and Raj B Shetty in 45

One of the Christmas 2025 releases, 45, directed by music man Arjun Janya and starring Shivarajkumar, Upendra and Raj B Shetty in the lead, is headed to OTT next week. OTTplay had reported the film’s impending OTT release on January 23, which has been confirmed by the platform. 45 will drop on Zee5 on January 23, 2026, and will be available via OTTplay Premium as well. The film, which released in theatres in a clash with Kiccha Sudeep’s Mark, did not receive favourable reviews and suffered a massive slump in collections after Day 1.

Is 45 the movie a box office failure?

According to trade tracker sacnilk, which, interestingly, stopped tracking 45’s collection at the two-week mark, the film’s India gross is about Rs 18.5 cr, with a net total of Rs 15.8 cr and a producer’s share of just under Rs 10 cr. Although the film team has not divulged the final budget, it is estimated to be in the range of Rs 45 cr to 50 cr. Producer Ramesh Reddy had blamed rampant piracy for the film’s failure at the box office, claiming that prints were being circulated by the end of Day 1 itself.

Also read: 45 movie review: Shivarajkumar, Upendra and Raj B Shetty make merry in preachy tale of life and death

However, the reception from theatrical audiences was also not great, with many stating that Arjun failed to capitalize on a golden opportunity, armed with three great actors. While his idea of presenting a soul’s journey from death to the afterlife in a commercial film was unique, his presentation wasn’t, with respect to the comedy, the pacing of the narrative, and events unfolding onscreen.

Also read: 45 on OTT: Exploring why Arjun Janya’s debut directorial didn’t strike a chord with audiences

The film was also VFX heavy, with close to 40% of computer graphics, which, Arjun has admitted, did not match the output standard he’d hoped to achieve when he outsourced it to Canada-based Marz. In fact, the film was initially meant to be in theatres on August 15, 2025, but had to be postponed owing to delays in completion of VFX work. The deadline was extended to October, but even then, the final visuals were far from exemplary, which audiences called out.

45 the movie FAQs

Q. Where to watch 45 the movie?

A. Kannada music composer Arjun Janya's directorial debut released in theatres on December 25, 2025 and is still running in a limited number of movie halls. It is, however, OTT bound, with Zee5 set to bring it to audiences on January 23, 2026. It will be available via OTTplay Premium also.

Q. What is the inspiration behind Arjun Janya's directorial debut, 45?

A. Arjun Janya lost his brother during the Covid-19 pandemic, which is the inspiration behind the story of 45. According to reports, the film revolves around the 45 days after a person's death, which, as per Sanatana Dharma, is when it is decided if the soul moves to the after life or gets reborn.

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