In Citadel: Honey Bunny, Raj & DK put their stamp on the Russo Brothers’ Citadel universe, aided by a kickass performance from Samantha Ruth Prabhu. This Indian chapter is more than just an action-packed thriller. It has a strong emotional core built around its two protagonists — Bunny (Varun Dhawan), a stuntman-cum-spy who recruits struggling actress Honey (Samantha Ruth Prabhu) into the team as an agent. A tech geek, Ludo (Soham Majumdar), and Bunny’s childhood friend Chako (Shivankit Parihar) round off the team.
Expanding the Citadel universe created by Josh Appelbaum, Bryan Oh and David Weil starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Richard Madden, Honey Bunny, set between 1992 and 2000, is a distinctly Indian take on espionage. The plot revolves around various agencies with vested interests vying for a potent device called Armada. One of these factions is led by Guru aka Vishwa, whom Kay Kay Menon plays with a smoothness that underscores the menace that he is. On the other hand, Zooni (Simran) represents the Mumbai arm of Citadel, a global spy agency, also eyeing the Armada.
Bunny and Honey’s mission initially seems straightforward — keeping the Armada from falling into the wrong hands — but soon it turns into a complex chase filled with deception, betrayal and shifting loyalties. A mission in Belgrade in 1992 spills some secrets, after which Honey goes into hiding only to emerge eight years later in Nainital. Her sole agenda is to keep her daughter Nadia (Kashvi Majmundar) — remember Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ character in the OG Citadel is named Nadia? — safe as Vishwa’s hitman Kedar (Saqib Saleem) is on her tail. No prizes for guessing, Bunny is in a race against time to reunite with Honey and protect her from Kedar.
Priyanka Chopra-starrer Citadel had faced criticism for its underwhelming storyline and character development, but Citadel: Honey Bunny elevates the franchise with Raj & DK and their frequent collaborator Sita Menon creating a six-episode story arc that fuses action and family drama with a light touch reminiscent of their work on The Family Man. The story’s non-linear structure keeps you guessing, switching between Bunny and Honey’s past and present as it reveals their tangled relationships and hidden loyalties.
Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s chemistry is one of the show’s biggest strengths. As a secret agent and a mother, Samantha is quick on her feet while also being taut with anxiety for her and her daughter’s safety. Varun strikes a balance between his past and present selves, both in terms of looks and characterisation. But the show’s scene-stealer is little Kashvi Majmundar, playing the school-going, smart and fearless Nadia with an ease that belies her age.
Raj & DK’s recreation of the 1990s is spot on, with retro tech like pagers, bulky computers, weaponry as well as Bollywood songs from the era. While the action scenes in Citadel: Honey Bunny aren’t as glossy as in Hollywood blockbusters, the fight choreography feels refreshingly raw, relying on well-coordinated hand-to-hand combat.
In terms of its pacing, Citadel: Honey Bunny takes the slow burn approach. The first three episodes go into building the world and the complicated connections between the characters. Once the plot picks up speed, it is a pure roller coaster with Bunny and Honey that keeps you glued.
If there’s a flaw, it’s in the show’s reluctance to fully commit to the espionage genre’s tension and stakes. The story sometimes pulls back just as it hits a crescendo, leaning instead on humour or romance to diffuse the tension. This might undermine the suspense, though it aligns with Raj & DK’s signature style of blending drama with levity.
