Russo Brothers’ Citadel – This 6-episode series is fast-paced, unfiltered and to the point, but lacks the magic of Rak and DK. The makers have wasted no time on loose ends and extra scenes, and also, neglected some depth. Samantha and Varun perfectly direct the story of ‘Citadel: Honey Bunny’, with an amazing supporting cast like Saqib Saleem, KK Menon, Kashvi Mazmundar, Shivankit Singh Parihar, Sikandar Kher and Soham Mazumdar.
Notably, Raj and DK, makers of must-watch series like ‘The Family Man’ and ‘Farzy’, have fared better than the Russo Brothers. The Indian version of Citadel has made the makers of Marvel movies look like children. ‘Citadel Honey Bunny’ is a series that you want to watch continuously and want to know all the secrets that are perfectly created by the makers with few hitches.
the story
The story of ‘Citadel: Honey Bunny’ takes place in two timelines – in 1997, mainly in Mumbai and Belgrade (past) and in 2000, mainly in Nainital, Mumbai and Hyderabad (present). While in the past Honey (Samantha Ruth Prabhu) and Rahi, aka Bunny (Varun Dhawan) meet, become agents, fall in love and break up, in the present they move forward with each other and protect their daughter Nadia. . Rahi is Guru’s agent trailer, whom he calls ‘Baba’ and has also worked as a part-time stuntman in 90s films. Honey, on the other hand, is a Hyderabadi illegitimate princess who comes to Mumbai to pursue an acting career, but ends up a struggling side actress.
Rahi, Honey’s good friend, tries to help her by giving money, but at the same time he lets her slip into his other world. The Guru, called Baba, is a simple-minded fugitive who started his agency with his own agenda. This man brings in children from shelters, gives them purpose, trains them to be agents and then uses them for his own benefit. Rahi and KD (Saqib) are among these agents, until Honey gives one of them some insight and forces them to take a less-used route.
The story takes a serious turn when Honey and Bunny turn against each other. Guru is arrested and Shaan (Sikandar Kher) continues to work under someone who is a spy in the organization. Things change when Rahi learns about her daughter’s existence. Both stand their ground, trust their instincts and fight everything that comes in the way of their daughter Nadia (Kashvi Majmundar).
Writing and directing
There is no doubt that famous action-packed series filmmakers Raj and DK have created a better series than the Russo Brothers! But they have not been able to show their magic in this Samantha-Varun starrer series. The series moves from past to present and some parts are skipped. Also, some scenes seem exaggerated while others are hastily made. Producers can also show the backgrounds of other artists like KD, Ludo and Chacko. Also, the back story of KK Menon stabbing his friend or not has not been clarified. Neither his motives nor his methods. Furthermore, both timelines do not accurately reflect the fractured story of his motives.
acting
One thing is for sure Citadel: Honey Bunny has only good actors and yes Varun is good too. This series is dominated by Sam and Varun, who are very good with their acting. Be it action, light comic scenes, thrilling punches or parental advice, both have done it all with ease. It’s good to finally see Samantha doing more action than The Family Man 2.
Shivankit Singh Parihar is spot on, always says the right things and seems trustworthy from the start. It was also nice to see him in action after his stellar performance as Guri in ‘Abhilashi’. KK Menon presents the right blend of villainy, however, compared to Raj and DK’s other antagonists, he seems weak and subdued.
