IMAGE: Raj and DK with Samantha, who stars in Citadel: Honey Bunny. Photograph: Kind courtesy Raj And DK/Instagram

It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship when two brainy boys met at an engineering college in Tirupati.

Over the course of Raj Nidimoru and Krishna Dasarakothapalli’s journey as students-turned-software professionals working in America, they realised their combined passion for cinema overrides the desire to live up the NRI dream.

Tossing away the security of well-paying jobs and comfortable lifestyles to deep dive into the volatile world of showbiz was nothing short of a gamble for this sorted, sensible duo. But it sure as hell has paid off what with Raj and DK emerging as one of Indian film-making’s topmost voices hailed for introducing fresh and funny ways of telling stories backed by edgy characterisation and technical savvy.

Sukanya Verma looks at their eclectic career of over two decades as their latest offering Citadel: Honey Bunny, the Indian leg of the Russo Brothers globetrotting spy universe series, drops on Amazon Prime Video on November 7.

Flavors
Where to watch? Amazon Prime Video

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A ‘hobby’ project, a ‘DIY’ film, Raj and DK reserve a special spot for the one that got the ball rolling while still going about their lives as friends and fellow engineers in America.

Despite a humble canvas, Flavors attracted favourable attention at film festivals for its realistic insights of the Indian Diaspora.

99
Where to watch? Amazon Prime Video

Despite a low-key release, the crime caper ensemble revolving around the escapades of two crooks enjoys a cult following among everyone who’s watched it.

Shor in the City
Where to watch? Amazon Prime Video, Jio Cinema

Set against the backdrop of Mumbai’s Ganeshotsav festivities and frenzy, Shor in the City‘s multi character arcs converge to portray the city’s chaotic character in ways that’s entirely refreshing and unusually amusing.

Go Goa Gone
Where to watch? Jio Cinema, ZEE5, Amazon Prime Video

Raj and DK’s super trippy zombie fiesta reiterates their range beyond the realm of crime proving they can do all-out comedy just as well.

Friendship, folly and fun abounds when the director duo let their hair down alongside Saif Ali Khan’s Boris.

Happy Ending
Where to watch? ZEE5, Amazon Prime Video

Perhaps the urban, underplayed humour of Raj and DK’s stab at the rom-com genre about a writer’s woes was lost on a majority but even its worst critic will admit laughing out loud at Govinda’s criminally underappreciated portrayal of an idiosyncratic superstar.

A Gentleman
Where to watch? Disney+Hotstar

Sidharth Malhotra’s swanky action hero in A Gentleman‘s big-scale Bang Bang (originally planned as a franchise sequel of the same) showcases the directors’ ease in the stylish spy space.

Too bad the movie didn’t gather as much momentum it should have at the time of its release.

Stree
Where to watch? Amazon Prime Video

Despite Amar Kaushik’s credit as director, Raj and DK enjoy a lion’s share in Stree‘s success as its original creators and writers.

There’s no denying their contribution in creating a creepy, comical world of timely allegories and timeless lore in the sly messaging and layered storytelling, of which its sequel is an enormous beneficiary.

Unpaused
Where to watch? Amazon Prime Video

Unpaused, an anthology released during the pandemic, captures the mood during the lockdown across stories inspired in that period.

Raj and DK’s dating in dystopia is one such segment replete with their signature wit and realism.

The Family Man
Where to watch? Amazon Prime Video

One of their most celebrated creations, The Family Man proved to be a game-changer in the desi OTT scene as Manoj Bajpayee’s titular avatar sprung life into its subversive espionage saga and stunning ambitions over the course of two sprawling world building seasons.

Farzi
Where to watch? Amazon Prime Video

Shahid Kapoor and Vijay Sethupati engage in a cat and mouse game over counterfeit currency under Raj and DK’s assured treatment.

Farzi benefits from a cast committed to deliver and creators who get the long form medium better than any of their contemporaries.

Guns & Gulaabs
Where to watch? Netflix

Call it the Raj & DK brand or formula, there’s a method to their madness when it comes to exploring stories imbued in dark crime and darker comedy that colours both their nostalgia as well as their characters in sure shot charisma and precarious charm for all the right reasons and wrong.