Imagine a spy thriller. Do visuals of novel gadgets, futuristic technology, secret headquarters in a dome-like building and more come to mind? That’s what Samantha thought too when she first heard of Prime Video’s spy series Citadel: Honey Bunny. But that myth was quickly busted when directors Raj & DK narrated the script to Varun Dhawan and her.
“What intrigued me the most about the show is that it’s a spy universe but not gimmicky or full of high-tech gadgets and futuristic technology. It’s a real world with very ordinary characters placed in extraordinary circumstances,” says Samantha. Varun Dhawan, who makes his OTT debut with Citadel: Honey Bunny, says, “Everything that happens is happening around the love story or the various relationships between the characters.”
The first series in the world of Citadel, starring Richard Madden (who plays Mason Kane) and Priyanka Chopra Jonas (who plays Nadia Sinh) alongside Stanley Tucci and Lesley Manville, premiered in 2023. The Original series traverses the globe, evolving the story of spy agency Citadel and its powerful enemy syndicate, Manticore.
Citadel: Honey Bunny is the Indian series in the world of Citadel, starring Varun Dhawan and Samantha in lead roles along with Kay Kay Menon. It goes back in time to the 1990s where stuntman Bunny (Varun Dhawan) recruits struggling actress Honey (Samantha) for a side gig which hurls them into a high-stakes world of action, espionage and betrayal. Years later, as their dangerous past catches up, the estranged Honey and Bunny must reunite and fight to protect their young daughter Nadia (Priyanka Chopra Jonas plays an older Nadia in the US instalment). X-Ray spoke to Dhawan and Samantha to know what went into the making of this show. Keep reading and you may find out what it takes to be recruited as a spy.
Edited excerpts.
When did you first come to be associated with the show and what was your experience?
Dhawan: I texted both Raj & DK (the directors) to tell them how much I liked The Family Man when I saw it. DK spoke to me that same night and we got to talking. I told him I’d never done action before and he teased something they were working on—a Jason Bourne-esque project that involved hand-to-hand combat. This piqued my interest but I was met with radio silence from them soon after. A couple of months later, Raj & DK called me into the office and told me all about Citadel: Honey Bunny. They were still quite vague but I liked whatever they told me and that it was being made by the Russo brothers. What I took from it is that it’s a love story backed with action.
My agency also represents Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and she was doing the first Citadel instalment for the US, so I tried to get some information to satisfy my curiosity as I didn’t have all the details. I also share a great relationship with Amazon (Dhawan is also Prime Video’s first Prime Bae) since they've hosted so many of my titles like Bawaal, Coolie No. 1, etc and I tried to get something from them but they were really secretive. When Sita, Raj and DK finally called to narrate the whole idea to me, it sounded perfect. I have seen Raj & DK’s work before but they haven’t done a complete love story. In this show, everything that happens is happening around the love story or the various relationships between the characters. I enjoyed working on this show and this will also be my OTT debut so that’s exciting!
Samantha: When this project was announced, I immediately, secretly wished to be a part of it. I had dabbled in a bit of action in The Family Man S2 with Raj & DK and was greedy for more. The idea of playing a spy was fun but the opportunity to play a well-etched out female character was what drew me to the role—finding that is very rare. When I first heard the narration, I was blown away. The role of Honey is one where you can just surrender and give it your all. You dream of getting roles like these as an actor. When I think of what I want in a role, it has to frighten me and feel intimidating, and I was petrified of playing Honey. I'm so happy with the way the show has turned out and I couldn't have asked for more. What intrigued me the most about the show is that it’s a spy universe but not gimmicky or full of high-tech gadgets and futuristic technology. It’s a real world with very ordinary characters placed in extraordinary circumstances. The Citadel world was very real and authentic. All in all, it just seemed like an amazing opportunity I couldn’t miss.
Could you tell us about your characters Honey and Bunny?
Samantha: Honey is an aspiring actress who is trying to make ends meet, something I related to a lot. I was a struggling actress at one point, and it was fun to play the scene where my audition is going terribly wrong. I love the fact that Honey and Bunny are from the film industry and we got to play some of our real-life experiences. About Honey’s various facets in the show—she is young, naive, exuberant, withdrawn, focused and also a mother. She had a varied arc which I loved.
Honey has a mind of her own and a high moral standing so things are always difficult for her. She often finds herself in difficult positions and is also often broke. During one such moment, Bunny offers her a spy gig that she is initially reluctant about, but ends up accepting. This gig changes her life forever. But deep down, I think that Honey always believed that she was meant for bigger things and when the opportunity presented itself, she leapt at it.
Dhawan: In one line, Bunny is a stuntman during the day and an agent at night. But to know who Bunny really is, you need to know his back story. Bunny’s parents died at a very young age, leaving him an orphan and he’s been living at an orphanage since then. That is where Baba (Kay Kay Menon) spots him and recruits him to be a spy. His relationship with Baba is that of a father and son. Deep down, Bunny is just a child wanting a family because he's never had that. You will see two contrasting sides of Bunny in the show—one is a man and one is a boy. The boy in 1992 who doesn't know what family can be and the man 8 years later who longs for family.
Let’s talk about you being partners-in-crime. What was it like working with each other?
Dhawan: When Raj & DK first spoke to me about the show, I asked them who they want to play Honey. When they said Samantha, I thought she’d be the best fit. But she wasn’t doing very well health-wise so we had to wait to match shoot dates. The lines blurred between who I see as Samantha and Honey—they are the same person to me. When we first started shooting, Samantha was still recovering and incidentally, the first scene we filmed together was one where she's been shot twice and wakes up from that injury in a bed. It was almost like Sam coming out of what she was fighting personally. There was such an animalistic approach to whatever she did, so much angst and power, and I made sure I was there for her in whatever capacity I could. That's what I play in the show—Honey can rely on Bunny for anything. So, I don't think anything in my relationship with her on-screen was a performance. We became good friends while shooting and I have a lot of fondness for her. She's a fighter who really inspires me and that's exactly who Honey is. I loved working with her, I hope I get to do so again in the future.
Samantha: When you have to play a difficult character, you really need people around who co-operate and are giving. Varun is such a giving actor. He genuinely wants all of his co-stars to do well. When you have co-stars that are rooting for you, that's half the battle won. He helped me with my performance so much that by the end of it, he had a South Indian accent. He's a cutie, a pleasure to work with and he's done action fabulously well. I'm so happy for him and I think that this is the beginning of action for Varun Dhawan.
Part of the storyline is also set in the 90s. How was it shooting for a spy series set in the past?
Samantha: We had a few sets for our 90s sequences and they were made so brilliantly that I couldn't tell the real parts and the props apart. When I first heard about Citadel: Honey Bunny, I imagined it to be futuristic. And so, walking into the 90s set and seeing these old gadgets, equipment, watches and gizmos was quite wonderful. I also got to have such a wide range to play with for my character between these two different time periods.
Dhawan: The 90s is a period of my life that I really loved. I loved growing up in the 90s and was in a bubble that almost felt like living a sitcom. So as soon as they said they would showcase that period, I was excited. When you don’t know what living in a period felt like, it’s difficult to channel that as an actor. I had an idea about what the fashion and costumes are going to be like and what the set will look like. The set designers and costume designers did a great job to bring us into the 90s. This was also set in Mumbai and I’ve lived my life here so it was very nostalgic and a great time overall.
Can you recall a standout scene for you from the set?
Dhawan: We’ve already established how Bunny has a lot of respect for Baba and treats him like his father. But Bunny is also someone who doesn’t believe in blind faith or admiration. You learn this about him in the scene where Baba has invited all his agents to have lunch with him but unknown to them, had offered them burnt chicken. This is a test for his new agents and that is when Bunny refuses to eat; it becomes a defining statement about who he is and what his relationship with Baba will be like. There is a lot of sub-text in this scene and it was so well-planned.
Samantha: In episode 6, the scene where Honey, Bunny and Nadia reunite is a funny scene because the first time Bunny meets his daughter is when she is holding a gun against him. But it was a very cute moment backstage because Kashvi Majmundar who plays Nadia had not met Varun yet and is a huge fan of him. So, the scene where they reunite is also the one where Kashvi met him for the first time. She was so excited and that also came through in the performance. She was so cute in that scene and she was floored by Varun in real life, really charmed by him. I think that scene was especially cute because there was a little bit of reality as well in her meeting him and the excitement around it.
Looking for more bonus content on Citadel: Honey Bunny? X-Ray hosts exclusive content ranging from trivia to interviews with the cast and creators. Scroll to the “Explore” section on the show’s main page on Prime Video to access these in full-screen experience on your devices.
