45 movie X reviews: Shivarajkumar rocks, but missed opportunity for Arjun Janya, say netizens

Music composer Arjun Janya’s much-awaited directorial debut, featuring Shivarajkumar, Upendra and Raj B Shetty in the lead, began its box office journey with paid premieres on the evening of December 24, 2025. Reports from the special show for media a day earlier had been mixed and going by the comments trickling in after the premieres, it appears that 45 has divided audiences.

Audience reactions from the paid premieres of 45

45, according to Arjun, is a story that he wrote based on certain personal experiences, including the loss of his brother during the pandemic. The film revolves around concepts of the afterlife, as per the Garuda Purana, featuring a lot of CGI. Although the work on the graphics had been outsourced to a Canada-based company and considerable time, effort and money was spent on it, the output is far from satisfactory, which is being pointed out as one of the film’s biggest failings. “You can use VFX in a film, but the film shouldn’t be all VFX,” was a comment, while another added, “Arjun Janya's armature direction, flat screenplay, bombarded VFX is a pain to eyes.”

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

By and large, though, pretty much everyone agrees that the actors were phenomenal in the film, especially Century Star Shivarajkumar. Arjun’s concept, most felt, wasn’t all bad, but he fumbled in the execution. “Arjun really messed up a good opportunity to explore what he had in mind. The film had great potential if it had been written well, but he chose to treat it in a regular, tried and tested manner,” wrote a netizen, adding that the first half drags quite a bit, while the second is decent.

“It’s a missed opportunity for Arjun,” said a user, while another chimed in that the composer messed up everything, resulting in the film being an average watch only. “Shivanna portions are the only saving grace,” was another comment, a sentiment that many others echoed. Everything’s not downhill for the film, though, with several netizens also pointing out that they absolutely loved 45, especially the references to earlier movies of Shivarajkumar and Upendra. This is, however, a concern that critics had about its efficacy once the film is dubbed in other languages – how will audiences understand or relate to these references?

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.

Q. Where to watch 45?

A. 45 hits theatres on December 25, 2025. The film will head to Zee5 (via OTTplay Premium also) after its theatrical run