45 will be a thought-provoking entertainer: Shivarajkumar

The film marks the directorial debut of music composer Arjun Janya, and also stars Upendra and Raj B Shetty in the lead cast

Raj B Shetty, Kaustubha Mani, Shivarajkumar, Arjun Janya and Ramesh Reddy

The shooting of composer Arjun Janya’s directorial debut, 45, starring Shivarajakumar, Upendra, and Raj B Shetty, commenced in Mysore. Geetha Shivarajkumar clapped the first shot of the shooting in the muhurat, which was attended by prominent artists, technicians, and dignitaries from the film industry.

Produced by Ramesh Reddy under the Suraj Productions banner, 45 is also written by Arjun, who will also be composing music for the film. The commercial entertainer will have Sathya Hegde handling the cinematography, editing by M Prakash, and Anil Kumar penning the dialogue.

At the media interaction, Shivarajkumar referred to the film as a thought-provoking entertainer. “The pre-production work has been underway for the last year. Arjun Janya not only narrated the story but also displayed an animation of the movie, which impressed me and the team beyond words,” said Shivanna.

Raj B Shetty remarked, “As an actor and as an audience, I am excited and curious about 45,” he says. Kaustubha Mani, who is playing the female lead expressed her excitement at appearing alongside such distinguished artists and technicians. “I am thrilled to be playing the role of a bold girl in this film,” she shared.

Talking about green-lighting the project, producer Ramesh Reddy said, “I was impressed with Arjun Janya’s story and the way he has utilized animation to showcase the movie’s concept. We are confident that the film will exceed our expectations,” stated the producer. Arjun Janya revealed, “Although we are starting the shoot now, we have been working on pre-production for approximately nine months.

Shivanna’s encouragement drove me to direct this film. Through this project, I aim to communicate profound philosophical concepts in a simple yet accessible manner, blending both class and mass elements.”

The makers have scheduled the filming in 80 days in locations such as Bengaluru and Mysore. Additionally, the film will be made in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam, and the team plans to release it in 2024.