Review of Citadel: Honey Bunny – A Missed Opportunity in the Spy Genre
Citadel: Honey Bunny, the Indian spinoff of Amazon Prime’s Citadel series, doesn’t exactly crash and burn but fails to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. The series opens with promising energy, but it struggles to maintain that momentum. The script often feels burdened by the complexity it attempts to handle, inching forward only in stops and starts.
Executive producers Raj & DK join forces with the Russo brothers to bring this Indian rendition of the Citadel Spyverse, originally led by Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden. This time around, Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu step into the roles of Bunny and Honey, agents embroiled in a whirlwind of action across India and Europe. However, despite plenty of action, the show struggles to deliver the suspense and intrigue the genre demands.
Set across two timelines (1992 and 2000), the story follows Bollywood stuntman Bunny and Honey, an aspiring actress with a tough exterior. The narrative travels between Mumbai, Nainital, and Belgrade, featuring action scenes that, unfortunately, often miss their mark in realism. In typical action movie style, the protagonists almost always hit their targets, while their adversaries repeatedly miss—an overused trope that adds little tension.
Samantha’s portrayal of Honey, a character who bounces back quickly from wounds, brings energy to her role, though it doesn’t fully translate to the series. Meanwhile, Varun’s youthful demeanor slightly undermines Bunny’s supposed invincibility. It’s clear that he’s caught in a character with limited depth, a shortcoming that isn’t entirely his fault.
Raj & DK aim to establish a global espionage narrative alongside their collaborators Sita Menon and Sumit Arora, known for their work on The Family Man and Guns & Gulaabs. While they create moments of excitement, especially in Belgrade’s chase sequences, these action highlights are too sporadic to sustain interest. The plot grapples with predictable themes around world peace and global power, adding little to the overarching story.
Throughout, Bunny works for a secret agency, often clashing with Citadel agents led by the stoic Zooni (Simran). The six-episode series attempts to add emotional depth by exploring themes of family, loyalty, and moral conflict, but these moments are often overshadowed by Honey and Bunny’s continuous fight for survival.
In one memorable scene, Honey confidently states, “I always survive. I am an exclusive piece,” hinting at her self-reliance. She has a young daughter, Nadia (Kashvi Majmundar), who is no ordinary child—hinting at her future role in the Citadel universe, as teased in the original series. In 1992, Bunny crosses paths with Guru (Kay Kay Menon), a seasoned spy figure, and offers Honey a life-altering assignment, propelling her into the world of espionage.
The narrative sees Honey and Bunny reuniting in 2000, this time for a personal mission. The story eventually focuses on Honey, Bunny, and young Nadia’s struggle to evade Citadel agents and seek safety. Assisting Bunny are tech expert Ludo (Soham Majumdar) and the courageous Chako (Shivankit Parihar), who add some camaraderie to the series.
The backstories of Honey and Bunny are touched upon briefly, leaving audiences wanting more insight into their pasts. The show could have benefited from deeper exploration of their challenging childhoods, which would better explain their hardened outlooks as adults.
Citadel: Honey Bunny ultimately has two key elements: it follows the spy thriller conventions Raj & DK have cleverly subverted in The Family Man, while also echoing the nostalgic Bollywood flair seen in Guns & Gulaabs. Yet, on both counts, the series falls short. Despite its potential, Citadel: Honey Bunny misses its target by a wide margin, making it a misfire in the evolving Citadel universe.
Cast
Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majumdar, Kay Kay Menon
Directors
Krishna D.K., Raj Nidimoru