The Kannada film industry has a reason to celebrate as the multi-starrer '45' has delivered a robust performance at the box office in its opening week. The film, featuring a powerhouse cast, opened strongly and has successfully crossed a significant collection milestone within just five days of its release.
Strong Opening Weekend Sets the Pace
The film enjoyed an impressive start, pulling in a solid Rs 5.5 crore on its opening day. This momentum carried through the weekend, with collections showing healthy figures day by day. By the close of business on Sunday, '45' had amassed approximately Rs 11.45 crore in net collections across India, comfortably sailing past the Rs 11 crore mark. This successful first weekend provided the film's makers with early cause for optimism.
Weekday Slowdown and Current Collections
As is typical, the film experienced a expected dip in collections with the onset of the weekday. According to early estimates reported by industry tracker Sacnilk, '45' earned around Rs 85 lakhs on its fifth day (Monday). This slowdown has brought the film's total domestic net collection to approximately Rs 12.30 crore. Crossing the Rs 12 crore threshold in under a week is considered a solid achievement for the regional release.
The occupancy data for Monday reflects this dip. The overall Kannada film occupancy for the day was around 16.85 percent. A breakdown shows morning shows were the slowest at 9.01 percent, while afternoon shows saw a better turnout of 22.43 percent. Evening and night shows recorded occupancies of 18.16 percent and 17.80 percent, respectively.
Cast, Crew, and Critical Reception
'45' is directed by Arjun Janya and boasts an ensemble cast including veteran stars Shivarajkumar and Upendra, along with Raj B. Shetty, Rajendran, and Pooja Ramachandra in pivotal roles.
The critical response, as noted in a review by ETimes, presents a mixed picture. The review acknowledges that the film is "rich in ideas and messaging", touching upon themes ranging from traffic discipline to existential philosophy, grief, and spirituality. However, it points out that the execution sometimes falls short, not allowing these complex concepts enough room to develop fully.
Further critique highlights that the "screenplay often feels uneven and rushed", with a focus on suspense and surprise potentially coming at the cost of organic character growth. The review notes that the protagonist Vinay's journey devolves into "a series of chases and escapes involving endless goons," which may detract from the film's intended deeper philosophical core.
The film's journey at the box office is being closely watched. While the opening weekend was promising, its ability to maintain steady collections during the remaining weekdays will be crucial in determining its long-term commercial success. The coming days will reveal if '45' can hold its ground beyond the initial fan-driven surge.
