The brain, soul, and heart—together with captions like ‘Enemy of Progress’—have raised huge anticipation for 45 since its launch. Now, the film has finally unveiled its teaser on Ugadi festival day.
The 1-minute and 24-second teaser is a real chiller. The encounter between Upendra and Shivarajakumar, featuring dialogues like “Om Naane” from the director and Shivanna saying “I know that I have acted”, is one of the most intense moments, shot with a rain effect.
45, the brainchild of magical composer Arjun Janya as a director, had its first teaser released by Century Star Dr. Shivarajakumar at a packed auditorium. Lavish Kannada cinema producer Ramesh Reddy was brimming with happiness—not just because of how well the film has shaped up or the announcement of its release date as August 15, but also because his wife Uma immensely liked the animated version of the film prepared by Arjun Janya.
“Half of my courage came from Dr. Shivarajakumar’s acceptance of the film 45,” says Ramesh Reddy. Then, Arjun Janya brought in Upendra and Raj B Shetty. “For me, the time to be as cool as Arjun Janya started in the early days of this film,” he adds. Ramesh Reddy claims that even in Hollywood, no one has made a film like this, and in India, no subject like this has come before. “We have 40% CG work being done in Canada. I assure a Swarga at the climax. Whatever you face in life, one has to be mentally strong, and the three forces in this film are superb examples,” he states.
Releasing the teaser of 45, Dr. Shivarajakumar stated, “A miracle can happen in 45 seconds, minutes, hours, or days! At the DKD show, I heard the story and told Arjun Janya that he should direct this film. Had he not directed it, we would have missed a great technician. The thing is, he should continue making Kannada films in the future and not spread his wings to other languages. We need a director like Arjun Janya. What I forecasted for Upendra after OM, I am saying the same today—Arjun Janya will be a big asset to Kannada cinema as a director as well,” promises Shivanna.
“Before going to the USA for surgery, I was very firm on completing the project. Who knows what happens tomorrow? That was my thought. I completed all the work for 45, and by God’s grace, I am back in good health today,” says Shivanna. “I did not want the project to suffer because of me,” he declared once again. “Now, I am back with double energy,” he adds confidently.
Arjun Janya strongly appreciated the firm mindset of producer Ramesh Reddy. “Rising from a mestri’s work in life, he has grown into a big builder and now a major film producer. The full creative freedom he gave me, especially regarding spending, made me feel very comfortable,” he says. “I am very small in front of Shivanna and Upendra. Their encouragement, along with Raj B Shetty’s complete involvement, made this film possible,” he adds.
“I am not a star. I am very ordinary and very humble,” says Raj B Shetty. “Perhaps I asked a lot of questions to Arjun Janya while shooting this film. That’s because 45 was a learning process for me. Last year we planned, this year we completed the shoot, and now the rest is up to the audience,” he says. Regarding any title or crown attached to his name, Raj B Shetty was very particular that there should not be one. At this moment, Dr. Shivarajakumar immediately announced that Raj B Shetty will be known as the ‘Soul Star’ from this film onwards.
Superstar Upendra immensely appreciated the strength of producer Ramesh Reddy and director Arjun Janya. He stated that the real superstars of this film are the producer and director. “If Arjun Janya ever decides to direct elsewhere, I will go to his house and stage a Dharna,” he joked, showing how strongly he values his craftsmanship.
Sathya Hegde, the wonderful cinematographer of Kannada cinema, has used color palettes to define all the characters. 45 revolves around three key elements—the heart, brain, and soul. The ultimate vision and passion of director Arjun Janya can be seen in 45, adds Sathya Hegde.
