Varun Dhawan to play Priyanka Chopra's father in 'Citadel: India'
During Prime Video's "Presents" event, the Indian adaptation of Citadel, led by Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu, was unveiled with the title Citadel: Honey Bunny. Just a day later on Wednesday, Dhawan announced that he will portray Rahi Gambhir, the on-screen father of Priyanka Chopra Jonas's character in the original series. Dhawan posted his dapper look from Tuesday's event in an Instagram post and captioned it, "Rahi Gambhir, aka Bunny."
Why does this story matter?
After its debut in April 2023, the first season of Citadel—featuring Chopra and Richard Madden—climbed to become the second most-watched non-US original series on Prime Video and fourth most-watched overall. Notably, the subsequent chapter in the Citadel franchise is slated to be Citadel: Diana which will be set in Italy and feature Matilda De Angelis. Before that, an Indian adaptation of Citadel will premiere on Amazon Prime Video, although a specific release date has not been disclosed.
Dhawan made a cameo in the fifth episode of 'Citadel'
This disclosure followed a brief cameo by Dhawan's character in the fifth episode of Citadel, where he was heard conversing over a phone call with Chopra Jonas's character, Nadia Sinh. In the original series, Rahi (Paul Bazely) is depicted as a terrorist and an enemy of Citadel. He secretly meets his daughter, Nadia, on a park bench, where she reveals her pregnancy. Rahi then arranges for Nadia to go to Valencia to hide and give birth safely.
'Citadel: Honey Bunny' will broaden the 'Citadel' universe
Honey Bunny blends a romantic narrative with the suspense of an espionage drama, set against the 1990s. Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu aside, the series boasts an ensemble cast of Simran, Saqib Saleem, Sikandar Kher, Soham Majumdar, Shivankit Parihar, Kashvi Majmundar, and Kay Kay Menon. The series is helmed by the acclaimed creator duo, Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, who have previously collaborated on the successful Prime Video spy series, The Family Man.
Earlier, Prabhu clarified 'Honey Bunny' was not a remake
Despite early conjectures that the series might be a remake of its American counterpart, Prabhu clarified on Instagram that "it's actually a spin-off with distinct versions planned in Spanish, Italian, and Mexican." Meanwhile, in another social media post, she labeled her role in Honey Bunny as the most challenging of her career. Despite grappling with myositis, an auto-immune disease, during production, she demonstrated resilience and completed the shoot.
