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New toPrime Videoon June 28, 2025,Citadel: Honey Bunnyis the secondCitadelspin-off and third series in the franchise thus far. Theaction espionage thrillerstars Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Varun Dhawan as Honey and Bunny, two secret spies pressed into international duty in the 1990s and 2000s. As the two travel the globe and complete various missions, Honey and Bunny fall in love and have a daughter they must protect at all costs.
Those turning into the six-part spy spin-off may recognize several names and faces as the series unfolds. Far from an unrelated standalone spin-off,Honey Bunnyhas direct ties to the originalCitadelseries starring Priyanka Chopra Jonasand Richard Madden. While the timeline goes backward, fans need to watchHoney Bunnyto fully appreciate the dramatic context of the entireCitadelseries.
Citadel: Honey Bunny
The Original Citadel Sets the Stage
It’s impossible to contextualizeHoney Bunnywithout first addressing the originalCitadel. The Russo brothers producedCitadel,a globe-spanning espionage series that debuted on Prime Video in April 2023.Citadelfollows Nadia Sinh (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) and Mason Kane (Richard Madden), two espionage partners working forthe fictional spy organization Citadel.When Citadel’s main rival, Manticore, destroys the agency by wiping out the memories of its agents, their employees must find answers to remember who they are.
In addition to being professional colleagues,Nadia and Mason have a daughternamed Asha (Serafina Tarafdar). Under the direction of shady superior Bernard Orlick (Stanley Tucci) and Manticore’s corrupt leader Dahlia (Lesley Manville), Nadia and Mason have their memories wiped and given new identities. Once their memories are erased, Nadia becomes a restaurateur named Charlotte Vernon and Mason becomes a father and husband named Kyle Conroy.
From its inception,Citadelwas designed as a global espionage series slated with multiple international spin-offs.FollowingCitadelin 2023, the Italian-set follow-upCitadel: Dianawas released on Prime Video in October 2024.However,Honey Bunnyhas even more direct narrative ties to the original, which many fans may recall during a conversation between Nadia and Asha.
Citadel: Honey Bunny Takes Us Back in Time
Directed by Raj & DK,Honey Bunnyis an Indian, Hindi-languageCitadelspinoff set from 1992 to 2000.The story concerns Rahi “Bunny” Gambhir (Verun Dhawan), a Bollywood stunt performer who moonlights as an undercover spy for a man named Guru, aka Baba (Kay Kay Menon). Bunny meets and falls for a struggling Bollywood actress named Hanimandakini “Honey” Raj (Samantha Ruth Prabhu).
Before Bunny recruits Honey to work as a spy, they are captured by rival Citadel agents, ordered by Shaan (Sikander Kher) and Zooni (Simran Bagga). Honey is shot and nearly killed, forcing Bunny to explain his secret identity as a spy. The two fall in love and Honey joins Bunny’s spy team.The pair accepts a mission in Belgrade to locate a high-tech gadget known as “Armada,” where Honey learns she is pregnant.
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Tasked with eliminating Raghu, the man responsible for creating Armada,Honey pulls out at the last minute when she realizes Raghu is innocent and has been framed. To protect Raghu, Honey betrays Baba by exposing his location, and he is arrested. Honey tells Bunny that she is pregnant, and just as they plan an escape,Honey is ostensibly blown up in a car explosion and left for dead. Bunny is fired from the spy agency and left believing his lover and their child have died. Eight years pass before viewers see Honey and Bunny again when the connection between the originalCitadelbecomes crystal clear.
How Honey Bunny Connects to Citadel
Flashing forward to the year 2000, it is revealed that Honey survived the car explosion that presumably claimed her life. Honey not only survived, but she also gave birth to a healthy young girl named Nadia Sinh. Of course,Nadia Sinh is the protagonist of the originalCitadel, meaningHoney Bunnyis a direct prequel. In the originalCitadel,Nadia mentioned her father to her daughter, referring to him as Rahi, aka Bunny.
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Although an older actor named Paul Bazely played Rahi (Bunny) inCitadel, Varun Dhawan portrays the younger version of the character in the connective origin story.Honey and Bunny are Nadia’s parents, and the series depicts how her family’s sacrifices and professional legacy informed her future. When the series cuts to 2000,Honey raises Nadia in India while Bunny leaves espionage behind to become a singer in Romania. Once Bunny learns his lover and child are alive and well, he does all he can to find and protect them before the Citadel agents inflict harm.
Without spoiling the ending ofthe Prime Video Original series, Honey and Bunny eventually reunite in Mumbai, where they are ambushed by Citadel agents. Regardless of what transpires, the narrative link betweenCitadelandCitadel: Honey Bunnyenables Nadia Sinh to follow in her parents' footsteps and honor their intrepid lineage. WhileCitadel: Dianais more of a standalone spin-off,Honey Bunnyfunctions as a dramatic prequel that organically dovetails into the original series.
