Genres : Action, Spy, Drama

Writer : Surya Turaga 

Date : 8th January 2025

A simple and enjoyable spin off that marks the beginning of a potentially unique and exciting franchise. From Raj & DK, the creators of The Family Man, Honey Bunny is an action series that tells the story of two secret agents fighting their own battles for what they think is right and trying to stop a powerful weapon from falling into the wrong hands. Starring Samantha Prabhu (Honey) and Varun Dhawan (Bunny), the show features a cast familiar to the action spy genre, with even Kay Kay Menon. The show serves as a standalone spin off to the Citadel series, set in the year 2000. The show falters in storytelling despite a strong foundation but manages to entertain with some mystery and action combined with good acting.

I won’t say much about the plot, except that it has Samantha being an agent in hiding, with mysterious bad guys chasing after her and Varun Dhawan fighting to try find and protect her. Behind this, there’s a complex flashback that led to the present situation of main characters separated. The flashback in 1992 runs alongside the present date plot, with both plot lines simultaneously revealing more about the story and reaching a crescendo towards the season finale. While the spy in hiding trope is nothing unique, the show kept the story simple and engaging with an uncommon narration style of past and present being revealed together.

The realistic action with characters getting wounded is the highlight of the show. Given Samantha’s history with The Family Man, I was not surprised that she excelled in fitting the role of an action spy. Much to my surprise given Baby John, Varun Dhawan also pulled off his role of a protective fighter pretty well. The other characters didn’t shine as often, but fit their roles well and delivered when needed. I especially appreciated Kashvi Manmundar’s portrayal of Samantha’s young daughter. There’s a very realistic balance of English, Hindi, and Telugu for a Hindi spin off of an American show, featuring a Telugu actor. Most of the story is set in Mumbai, but other locations are also used.

I’m actually interested in the world building in this show. Citadel is a US show by the Russo brothers set in the present. Citadel: Honey Bunny is in the same universe, and set in the 90’s. It seems to be also in the same universe as The Family Man, which is connected to Farzi. The connection between The Family Man and Farzi makes sense, but some of these actors have been reused in Honey Bunny, including Samantha and Kay Kay Menon. So I don’t know if Raj and DK will move forward with this connection. Even then, I guess we’re just meant to look past that and pretend they’re different characters. Within the Citadel franchise, Citadel: Diana has also released, an Italian spin off of Citadel set in 2030. So I guess Citadel is a large scale main show, with countries having their own regional spin offs. If Prime Video can actually handle this much crossover without sacrificing plot and storytelling, I will certainly be impressed.

Overall, Citadel: Honey Bunny is a good and entertaining spin off, expanding the franchise pretty well. Look past the issues with the action plot, and this show can be an entertaining drama of two spy agents stories and how they reconnect. It’s not quite up to the Family Man standard, but it entertains nevertheless.

Surya-o-meter : 70%

Storytelling - 6/10

Directing- 7/10

Acting - 8/10

Music - 4/10

Cinematography - 7/10