Citadel: Honey Bunny fares much better than the previous two entries in the global franchise, observes Mayur Sanap.

The most definitive about Citadel: Honey Bunny, the Indian spin-off of Citadel, is that it fares much better than the previous two entries in the massive global franchise that flagged off last year.

Having proven their mettle in the Indian streaming space, Raj & DK helm this show that is emotionally far more engaging than the Italian counterpart Citadel: Diana and narratively more compelling than the OG American show that starred Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

The basic framework here is the same: Incredibly attractive lead stars, cool spycraft, fast-paced action, tech wizardry — all packaged in a non-fussy, entertaining plot.

And despite this razzmatazz, Honey Bunny stumbles at the writing level, spinning a generic spy yarn that eventually devolves into all sorts of clichés.

The story plays out between two timelines 1992 and 2000 as the plot jumps back and forth to create a sense of mystery surrounding its characters.

We see the origins of Honey and Bunny, played by Samantha and Varun, in the lengthy flashbacks. They are buddies from work as they navigate their careers in 1990s Bollywood.

Honey is a struggling artist finding it difficult to fend for herself due to her stagnant career.

Bunny is a stuntman, well-known for his daredevilry on film sets.

But there’s more to Bunny.

He is a secret agent in disguise of an agency spearheaded by Vishwa (Kay Kay Menon).

Seeing Honey’s breakdown due to a miserable career, Bunny trains and recruits her as a spy, much to Vishwa’s dismay.

Soon, both set off on a deadly mission on Vishwa’s order to track down and steal a device called Armada, a new-age technology that will enable a potentially dangerous surveillance system around the world.

The mission goes awry and the revelations create a rift between Honey and Bunny that sets them on their separate ways.

Eight years later, Honey is living in a hideaway with her daughter Nadia (Kashvi Majmundar), but her murky past catches up with her as she finds herself pursued by Vishwa’s agents.

Written by Raj & DK with their frequent collaborator Sita R Menon, Honey Bunny is essentially an ill-fated love story in the guise of an espionage thriller. The story is intricate in the moment but when you put it all together later, it’s rather simple.

Despite a few moments of tense intrigue, the lumbering pace in the first two episodes drags the show with uninteresting twists.

The plot thickens by the end of the third episode and there are flashes of promise in this smart screenplay, but they don’t all pan out.

Watch out for the full review in just a bit!

Citadel: Honey Bunny streams on Amazon Prime Video.

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