45 ending explained: Why is Rayappa hellbent on killing Vinay? Can Vinay escape Rayappa’s fury?
45 on OTT: Composer Arjun Janya’s directorial debut was inspired by the Garuda Purana and the 45 days following a person’s death. The film stars Shivarajkumar, Upendra and Raj B Shetty in the lead.
Last Updated: 09.57 PM, Jan 25, 2026
The story of Arjun Janya’s directorial debut, 45 , finds its origins in the Hindu scripture the Garuda Purana, wherein the rituals to be conducted after a person’s demise to facilitate the soul’s journey to the afterlife are laid out. The idea, to use the Garuda Purana as source material came to Arjun following the loss of his brother during the Covid-19 pandemic. Arjun cast Shivarajkumar, Upendra and Raj B Shetty in the lead roles and remained deeply secretive about the plot of the film until the release.
45 released in theatres on December 25, 2025, but did not have a great box office run. It then dropped on OTT as of January 23, 2026 and going by the responses trickling in, it is not finding much love.
45 ending explained: What’s the deal with Raj’s Vinay and Upendra’s Rayappa?
45 opens with Vinay (Raj), rushing out of the home he shares with his mother, played by Manasi Sudhir, in a bid to get to office on time. A software professional, Vinay has skipped breakfast and was on his way without a helmet, when he attends a call on his mobile phone at a signal. As the signal turns green, he moves ahead, but then runs over a dog that crosses his path. He pays no attention to the dog and carries on, only to be run over himself by a speeding truck. But then the next scene cuts to Vinay waking up with a jolt after this horrifying dream and heaves a sigh of relief that he’s still alive.
The same routine plays out, only this time, Vinay choses not to wear the black shirt he had on in the dream. He makes it to office, where, he is strangely consumed by an urge to figure out what happens to a person after his/her death. An internet search takes him to a documentary about the Garuda Purana and how Yama’s (the God of Death) messengers lead a soul away on its journey to the afterlife. Just then, Vinay has two visitors – the henchmen of a local thug Rayappa (Upendra). Turns out, the dog that Vinay left to die by the roadside belonged to Rayappa and the latter is heartbroken and vengeance driven. He wants Vinay to suffer and promises to finish him off in 45 days.
In the days thereafter, Vinay continues to check out the documentary and have eerily similar experiences in his life. With 20 days to go before D-Day, Vinay runs into Shivappa (Shivarajkumar), who decides to help the former evade Rayappa. Shivappa gets Vinay out of a several sticky situations, until on Day 45, he asks him to face Rayappa. After a long drawn-out battle between Shivappa, who, as it turns out is Lord Shiva himself, and his many avatars, with Rayappa and his army, it is revealed to Vinay that he’d died in the very first scene of the film and his mother has been doing the necessary rituals for his soul’s passage to the afterlife.
45 the movie FAQs
Q. Where to watch 45 the movie?
A. Kannada music composer Arjun Janya's directorial debut, 45, released in theatres on December 25, 2025 and did not have a great run. It is now on Zee5 as of January 23, 2026. It is 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.