Citadel: Honey Bunny review- Samantha-Varun's parental actioner is better than Priyanka-Richard's series but lack Raj and DK's magic

Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who turned parents for Nadia, played by Priyanka Chopra in Russo Brothers' 'Citadel' has been released on Amazon Prime Video. The 6-episode series is fast-paced, unfiltered and on point but lacks Rak and DK's magic. The makers have wasted no time on loose talks and extra scenes, and at the same time, have missed some depths. While Samantha and Varun totally guide the story of 'Citadel: Honey Bunny', they are joined by a brilliant supporting cast like Saqib Saleem, KK Menon, Kashvi Majmundar, Shivankit Singh Parihar, Sikander Kher and Soham Majumdar. It is significant to note that Raj and DK, the makers of must-watch series like 'The Family Man' and 'Farzi' have outperformed the Russo Brothers. The Indian version of Citadel has made the makers of Marvel movies look like kids. 'Citadel Honey Bunny is the kind of series that will want you to binge-watch and know all the secrets laid perfectly by the makers with some road blocks. 

Story

The story of 'Citadel: Honey Bunny' runs in two timelines- in 1997, majorly in Mumbai and Belgrade (the past) and in 2000, in Nainital, Mumbai, and Hyderabad (the present). While the past deals with Honey (Samantha Ruth Prabhu) and Rahi, aka Bunny (Varun Dhawan), meeting, turning agents, falling in love, and separating, the present deals with them finding their way to each other and protecting their daughter Nadia. Rahi is an agent trailer by Guru, who he calls 'Baba' and also worked as a part-time stunt man in 90's films. On the other hand, Honey is a Hyderabadi illegitimate princess who moves to Mumbai to pursue an acting career but ends up only as a struggling side actor.  

Rahi, a good friend of Honey tries to help her with money however, at the same time he ends up letting her into his other world. Guru majorly called Baba the whole time is a no-nonsense Citadel fugitive, who started his own agency with ulterior motives. The man takes children from shelter homes, gives them purpose, trains them to be agents and then uses them for his own goods. Rahi and KD (Saqib) are also one of these agents until Honey knocks some sense into one of them and makes them take the road less taken. 

The story takes a serious turn when Honey and Bunny turn against each other. Guru gets arrested and Shaan (Sikander Kher) keeps working under someone who's a mole in the organisation. Things turn the other way around when Rahi finds out about the existence of her daughter. The two hold their grounds, trust their instincts and fight against everyone and everything that gets in the way of their daughter Nadia (Kashvi Majmundar). 

Writing and direction

Raj and DK, the famous filmmakers of action-packed series have made a better series than the Russo brothers, no debate! But they have not been able to re-create their own magic in Samantha-Varun starrer. The series runs through and fro from past to present timelines and misses a few bits and pieces. Moreover, some scene seem pushed while some are rushed. The makers could have also given a bit of back story of the other cast members as well like KD, Ludo and Chako. Moreover, the angle of KK Menon's back story of stabbing or not backstabbing his friend is left unclear. Neither his motives and explored nor his methods. Moreover, the broken story of his motives in both timelines are not delved in well.

It's just Samantha and Varun who take the equally loaded share of the story and clinch the audience's attention. From their love story to parental instincts, each aspects are explored well by Raj and DK. However, a two-month pregnant agent training in combat is still bizarre to watch. Other than Honey and Bunny, this series is also about three friends who always have each other back. Raj and DK should be credited for creating Ludo, Chako and Rahi's bond in a way that looks natural and needed in places. Moreover, the ending does make you wait for season 2, while disappointing a bit at the same time. 

Acting

One thing to be sure of is that Citadel: Honey Bunny has just good actors and yes Varun is good too. The series is held by Sam and Varun who are too good with their performances. Be it action, light comic scenes, thrilling punches or parental mentorship, the two do it all with ease. It's finally good to see Samantha doing more action than she did in The Family Man 2. Varun on the other hand, evolves with the storyline in his performance and hence, acts better in the present timeline than in the past. As mentioned earlier, they are backed by a good supporting cast. 

Shivankit Singh Parihar is precise, always says the right things is seems trustworthy since the beginning. It's also good to see him do action after a lovable performance as Guri in 'Aspirants'. Soham Majumdar as Ludo is a good performing computer geek, who always has the right gut feeling. KK Menon brings the right amount of villainous humour, however, compared to other Raj and DK's antagonists, he's weak and meek. Saqib is brilliant as KD, be it action or no-nonsense acting, he does justice by everything but only if he had more to do than just begin Menon's puppet, he would have really shone in Citadel: Honey Bunny. Little Nadia played by Kashvi Majmundar is the real star. She's just too good. 

Verdict

One needs to understand that Raj and DK have given us a real gem, hence, expecting something of that level may bring disappointment but still Citadel: Honey Bunny will force you to a binge-watching session. Its storyline is intriguing and while missing some bullets, the show runs and you are left with no option but to catch up. Varun has made a powerful OTT debut in this series while Samantha really holds the upper hand. Citadel: Honey Bunny marks the Indian entry into the Citadel universe and does it better than the masters. Hence, it's rightfully deserving of three stars. Citadel: Honey Bunny's six episodes are now out on Prime Videos.