45 trailer reaction: Raj B Shetty addresses Rishab Shetty omitting his name in special message
In a video byte about the trailer of Arjun Janya’s 45, actor-filmmaker Rishab Shetty spoke about both Shivarajkumar and Upendra, which had led to speculation if it was deliberate.
File image of Raj B Shetty and Rishab Shetty at the OTTplay Awards
Last Updated: 06.24 PM, Dec 16, 2025
Is all well with Kannada cinema’s RRR triumvirate – Rishab Shetty, Rakshit Shetty and Raj B Shetty? That’s a question that pops up every now and then and has been raised yet again. This time it follows a video that the team of the upcoming film 45 released, in which Rishab spoke about the trailer, after being given a preview of the same. In his message, Rishab said that 45 was a film starring two of his favourites, namely Shivarajkumar and Upendra, that was directed by the music composer of his first film. Never once did Rishab mention Raj B Shetty, who also plays a main role in the film, which raised eyebrows.
Raj B Shetty: Rishab Shetty would not intentionally omit my name
At the trailer launch of 45, Raj was asked about this by News18 Kannada, and he brushed it off as an inadvertent miss. “If I were to speak about 45, I would also highlight Shivanna and Uppi sir and then, Arjun Janya. Yes, I have also played a role in this film, but sometimes, when you are speaking in a certain flow, you tend to miss some things. From what we’ve been made to understand, Rishab recorded the video twice, because the first time, for about 5 minutes, the lapel mic was off, so he had to redo it,” said Raj, adding that it was not an issue to get hurt about or take it as a personal insult.
Raj also said that he does not believe that Rishab’s omission was intentional. The rumours of a fallout between the trio had popped up during the release promotions of Kantara Chapter 1, when Rishab downplayed Raj’s contribution in the success of the original Kantara. Subsequently, after the film came out, neither Raj nor Rakshit took to social media to congratulate him on the success, or that they’d seen the film, etc.
Raj explains that he had openly distanced himself from the second film in the franchise, as he felt that it would include elements that could go against his belief systems. “To then come out and promote the film did not seem right to me,” said Raj, adding that he is extremely proud of the success that Kantara Chapter 1 got and the mileage that Kannada cinema got from it.
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.