45 actor Raj B Shetty: I will not increase my remuneration beyond a point because…

Kannada actor-filmmaker Raj B Shetty is in a good place as far as his career is concerned. His production venture Su From So is one of the highest grossing Kannada films of the year, while he has multiple projects in his kitty as an actor. Raj’s current busy schedule has sparked rumours about an increase in remuneration and while he does not discuss figures, one thing that he’s clear about is that there has to be a limit to it.

During the promotions of his next release, 45, Raj said that while money is not important to him personally, he has responsibilities, in terms of people dependent on him, including his parents. “To meet those ends I need some money and that’s enough,” he told Power TV News, adding, ““I will not increase my remuneration beyond a certain level ever, no matter how well I am doing in my career, because that allows me to continue being part of small but good films. Instead, if I keep hiking my paycheck, I will be limited to only doing big budget movies.”

As for 45, which is the directorial debut of composer Arjun Janya, Raj says that while the character offered to him was interesting, at first, he was not keen to take it up as he was looking at returning to direction. “I was also worried about how long it would take, considering that there are big stars like Shivarajkumar and Upendra on board and that the film was being mounted on a big scale. But then Arjun convinced me to do it and assured me that he would wrap up the film as soon as possible,” says Raj.

In the film, Raj plays a common man, who, by all accounts is the central crux of the film. His life and the conflicts within are what drive the story of 45. “Audiences will find this character very relatable,” he says, adding that he loved working with Shivarajkumar and Upendra, both of who had no starry airs and were only concerned about what best they could do for the film.

Also read: Arjun Janya wrote the beginning and end of 45 while heading for his brother’s asthi visarjan 

45 the movie FAQs

Q. What happened to Arjun Janya?

A. Kannada music composer Arjun Janya suffered a massive heart attack during the Covid-19 pandemic, but has since made a remarkable recovery.

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.