Prime Video announces November 7 for Citadel: Honey Bunny release

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Prime Video launched a spectacular teaser to reveal the premiere date of their most ambitious Original series, Citadel: Honey Bunny, at a fan event in Mumbai’s Mehboob Studios with the talent and directors in attendance.

Starring Varun Dhawan and Samantha, Citadel: Honey Bunny, the Indian series born from the world of Citadel, is directed by Raj & DK and produced by D2R Films, Amazon MGM Studios and executive-produced by the Russo Brothers’ AGBO, Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Angela Russo-Otstot and Scott Nemes, alongside David Weil (Hunters). Midnight Radio is also an executive producer.

The Indian series is written by Sita R. Menon. The series features Kay Kay Menon, Simran, Saqib Saleem, Sikandar Kher, Soham Majumdar, Shivankit Parihar and Kashvi Majmundar. Citadel: Honey Bunny is set to premiere exclusively on Prime Video in India and across more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on November 7.

Prime Video confirmed the premiere date at an event attended by fans of Varun, Samantha, Raj & DK. Citadel: Honey Bunny has a narrative that fuses the pulse-pounding elements of a gritty spy action thriller with a love story, all set against the vibrant tapestry of the ’90s.

The event commenced with two live performances of songs that feature in the series. Composed by Sachin-Jigar and written by Priya Saraiya, the songs were presented live by them and singers Shilpa Rao, Ash King and others.

“We are thrilled to announce the premiere date for the much-awaited series today. The Indian series in the world of Citadel blends the charm of the ‘90s with an immersive narrative and truly captivating performances by Samantha as Honey, Varun as Bunny, and the entire ensemble cast. The fictional series will take the audience back to the genesis of this international clandestine spy-agency, delving further into its foundation, activities, influence and rise. It will be in the distinctive and sensational signature of Raj & DK that the audience has come to love, enjoy and admire. The  excitement for the series has been palpable among fans of Varun and Samantha and having them participate in this larger-than-life date reveal event is truly a memorable experience for everyone present,” said Nikhil Madhok, Head of Originals, Prime Video, India, in a media release, as he hardly got a chance to speak at the event,

Varun Dhawan raved about Samantha, calling her an inspiration for everyone because the last two years had been personally traumatic to her. (On October 29, 2022, she announced that she was diagnosed with dermatomyositis, a rare skin condition). He also revealed that he had been watching Makkhi and her other hits all along but had no idea till a pretty while later that his co-star was the same Samantha Ruth Prabhu!

Samantha, in turn, called Varun one of the most professional actors and a wonderful co-star who never had a rough mood on sets and was always smiling. She reminisced about a special action sequence that Raj & DK had shot with both of them and was 10-12 minutes long and done in a single take.

“Citadel:Honey Bunny is a swashbuckling blend of gritty, fast-paced action and compelling drama with exceptional performances. We are excited to introduce Varun as an edgy action hero, and Samantha has upped her action game to the next level. We are also thrilled to have joined with the powerhouse Kay Kay Menon once again and are lucky to have an incredible cast,” stated Raj & DK.

“Ever since the series was announced, we have received overwhelming support and anticipation from fans, and that has been truly gratifying. So, it is only natural that we include fans in our date reveal today. The response to the teaser has been very heartening and we believe it is a testament to the dedication of the entire team. We cannot wait for audiences across the world to enjoy one of our most ambitious projects yet!” the director-duo added, speaking turn by turn. They expressed delight that when they pitched their idea of a plot at a meeting with the Russo conglomerate, they only got approval and encouragement.

Sita R. Menon, who began as a journalist and has worked with this writer, remembered how her association began with Raj & DK and has since evolved with their first film, 99, 15 years ago, followed by all their work like Shor in the City, Go Goa Gone and series like The Family Man and Farzi.

When I asked Varun how different it was shooting for this series vis-à-vis his movies and especially action dramas, he smiled and said that it was a completely satisfying experience as he had full concentration on this work and the longer duration allowed him to go deep into his character. He stated that one of the pre-conditions by Raj & DK was that he would not do anything alongside, so that there would be no distractions or phone calls. “Raj & DK told me that I would get to do Citadel: Honey Bunny only if I was not working on any other project during its entire making,” he revealed. He also informed his fans that this was the third time in his career that he was shooting on real locations after Badlapur and October.