The Kannada film industry has a strong performer on its hands with the multi-starrer action drama '45'. Headlined by powerhouses Shiva Rajkumar and Upendra Rao, with Raj B Shetty in a key role, the film has registered a robust opening at the box office, amassing an impressive total in its first weekend.
Strong Box Office Numbers for Opening Weekend
According to early estimates and industry reports, '45' has collected approximately Rs 11.45 crore in its first three days. The film kicked off its theatrical journey with a powerful opening day, reportedly earning over Rs 5.5 crore on Thursday. While business saw a dip on Friday with an addition of around Rs 2 crore, it picked up again over the weekend. Saturday brought in an estimated Rs 1.95 crore, and Sunday witnessed a strong resurgence, with early figures suggesting earnings of over Rs 2 crore.
Theatrical Occupancy Shows Growing Audience Interest
The film's performance is further highlighted by its theatre occupancy rates, which showed a positive trend through Sunday. As per data, the movie recorded an overall Kannada occupancy of 34.97% for the day. The viewership built steadily through the day, starting at 14.77% during morning shows. Interest spiked significantly in the afternoon, with occupancy reaching 42.16%. The film hit its peak during the coveted evening shows, filling 51.03% of seats, before wrapping up the day with a 31.90% occupancy for night shows.
Audience and Critical Reception on Social Media
Directed by Arjun Janya, '45' is described as an action drama thriller infused with philosophical elements, a hallmark often associated with Upendra's projects. The film has sparked conversations online, receiving a largely positive response from viewers on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
One user appreciated the film's core concept, stating, "45 offers a psychological, philosophical concept with strong performances and a decent climax." However, the same viewer felt that "excessive VFX and dialogues seemed to have reduced the emotional impact, making it an average and uneven film overall."
Another netizen praised the intent and a particular performance, commenting, "45 is a good attempt and moral message but the color grading & execution was pretty average. Also Raj Shetty has incredible comic timing, really wish he maxxed that more!"
The film also features performances by Rajendran and Pooja Ramachandra in pivotal roles. With its solid opening weekend, '45' has established a firm footing, and its continued run will depend on sustained audience word-of-mouth in the coming weekdays.
