Actor Varun Dhawan said he feels good about his first OTT series, Citadel: Honey Bunny, the India-set companion piece to the globe-trotting spy franchise Citadel, and believes the show will push the boundaries of Indian cinema. (Also read | Varun Dhawan says Aditya Chopra refused to hire him for an action film and told him, ‘I can’t give you that budget’)
Directed by filmmaker duo Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, the series is part of the broader global spy universe that began with the Mothership show starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Richard Madden.
Honey Bunny is the third installment in the franchise, following Citadel and the recently released Italian chapter Citadel: Diana, starring Matilda de Angelis. “For Honey Bunny, we’ve put in a lot of work, from making it to executing it and seeing it come to fruition. It’s amazing. I am already happy with it because of the quality and its looks,” Varun told PTI in an interview.
“In the end, it depends on the audience. Everyone has given their best. I hope this boosts Indian cinema. I know it will do well and I feel good about it,” he added. .
The Prime Video series, also starring Samantha Ruth Prabhupresents itself as a fascinating narrative that fuses elements of a spy action thriller with the touching appeal of a love story.
“When stuntman Bunny (Varun) recruits actress Honey (Samantha) for a side job, they are thrown into a world of high-stakes action, espionage and betrayal. Years later, when their dangerous past catches up with them, Honey and “Bunny must reunite and fight to protect his little daughter, Nadia,” the official plot reads.
The show, written by Sita R Menon along with Raj & DK, is executive produced by Hollywood filmmakers Anthony and Joe Russo. It will premiere on November 7.
For Varun, known for films like Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, Badlapur, October, Jugjugg Jeeyo and Bhediya, Honey Bunny was an unusual project for many reasons.
“From the love story between two spies and the meeting of these two damaged people, everything was great. Then Raj and DK executed it, Sita wrote it and Sam played Honey. So, that was a big thing for me… “Having Amazon backing this and having the Russos on board, these things happen from time to time,” the actor said.
Varun revealed that he received many offers for his debut in the series, but he was instantly attracted to the idea of Citadel: Honey Bunny.
“There have been many offerings from OTT platforms, some even in the action space. Because of this, if I had wanted something else, that would have happened too, like The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) being in it. It was just that everything was happening one after another on this show,” he said.
The actor also said that when he heard the narration of the show, Samantha’s name for the female lead immediately came to mind.
“When we talked about this, the first person that came to mind was Samantha, without even being told. I thought, ‘If Sam does it, it’ll be huge and we’ll bounce off each other really well.’ We have a unique type of chemistry. I think that was the only thing Raj and DK listened to, nothing more.”
Apart from Citadel: Honey Bunny, Varun is equally excited about his upcoming releases: Baby John, an action drama backed by Atlee; Karan Johar’s home production Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari; and family entertainer Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, with his father and filmmaker David Dhawan.
He will also be seen in Border 2, directed by Sunny Deol, and the sequel to No Entry, alongside Arjun Kapoor and Diljit Dosanjh. He said: “I have too many things on my plate right now and it’s time to get out. It’s very good. I’m not complaining at all; “I am very happy.”
The collaboration with his father is particularly special as it marks their reunion after Main Tera Hero and the rebooted version of Coolie No 1. “He is the only director who shouts at me. He also lectures me about all the other things I’m posting right now. He’s excited about ‘Honey Bunny’; “He loved the trailer,” he added.
The actor believes there is a dearth of well-made comedy films in Bollywood, adding that although critics may term such films as “non-logical”, audiences enjoy watching them.
“We have made good comedies and they have also been successful. If a comedy is generally good and makes you laugh, then it becomes critic-proof because word of mouth spreads and people laugh in theaters. It doesn’t matter what people say about it not being logical. As long as people are entertained in cinemas, word of mouth spreads,” he said.
“Many comedies, sometimes, that have become cult classics, like ‘Andaz Apna Apna’, received bad reviews and were considered flops. We are doing fewer comedies; “We should do more because they elevate society and laughter, in general, is the best medicine,” he added.
Citadel: Honey Bunny also features Kay Kay Menon, Simran, Saqib Saleem, Sikandar Kher, Soham Majumdar, Shivankit Parihar and Kashvi Majmundar.
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