Varun Dhawan Headlines Prime Video’s Indian Installment Of Russo Brothers’ Citadel

Indian actor Varun Dhawan will headline the Indian installment of Russo Brothers’ Citadel, Prime Video has confirmed. Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK (better known as Raj & DK, of The Family Man fame) are the showrunners and directors for the series that will be based in India. It will be written by Sita R. Menon along with Raj & DK, and is set to go on floors by January 2023.

Dhawan will make his digital debut with the yet-to-be-titled Citadel series. Dhawan says he is thrilled to start his digital journey: “Prime Video is like home to me, and I am thrilled to begin this journey in the streaming space with them. Citadel is an exceptionally ambitious and exciting franchise, and to be part of this magnificent universe, conceptualised by the Russo Brothers’ AGBO and Jennifer Salke, is a landmark moment in my career.”

He adds, “I have been a big fan of their work and I am beyond thrilled to be a part of this project, and can’t wait to start shooting it. The storyline of the Indian Citadel chapter is fantastic, and when you have creators like Raj & DK on board, one can be certain that a spectacle is in the making.”

Indian actor Priyanka Chopra and Hollywood’s Richard Madden star in the first-to-launch series Citadel that is set to premiere in 2023. It will also feature Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Gamessaga). Apart from the Indian version, Italian version of the American series is also in the works that features Matilda De Angelis (The Undoing).

“The Citadel universe from the Russo Brothers’ AGBO is a truly innovative and ambitious approach to storytelling, and we are super excited to begin production on the Indian chapter. With this project, we are building on our mission of borderless entertainment to produce local original content that can be enjoyed by audiences across the world. Citadel is a truly global franchise, with local productions, across countries, that build back to an inter-connected storyline—a first-of-its-kind innovation in storytelling,” said Gaurav Gandhi, vice president, Prime Video India.

Head of India originals at Prime Video Aparna Purohit, says in a press statement, “The Indian installment of the distinctive and scintillating Citadel universe is amongst our most exciting projects, and collaborating with the Russo Brothers’ AGBO has truly been a thrilling opportunity. Having Varun make his streaming debut and headline this Prime Video series is a matter of great pride for us.”

“After the phenomenal success of The Family Man, working with Raj & DK on this project feels like we’re further cementing our creative partnership. We are certain that with this series, we will push the envelope several notches higher and present a truly immersive experience to our viewers,” she adds.

“We are thrilled to see yet another production within the Citadel universe commencing, this time in India. We, and all of AGBO, consider it an honor to be collaborating with filmmakers as inspiring as DK and Raj, who bring a unique vision, style, and tone to our collection of global series. And, we can’t wait to see how this remarkable cast brings their and Sita’s imaginative characters to life,” said executive producers, Anthony and Joe Russo.

“We are super excited to be a part of this global event series envisioned by the Russo Brothers, two very inspiring filmmakers and creators; along with our long-time partners Prime Video! We are especially looking forward to working with the versatile and dynamic Varun,” said creator duo Raj & DK.

“We’ve worked very hard collaborating with the other international teams to bring a unique interwoven universe to our audiences. Along with a sparkling cast, we hope to push the boundaries of storytelling with Citadel India.”

Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK under their banner D2R Films will also serve as executive producers on the series that will be produced by D2R Films, and Amazon Studios, with AGBO’s Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Mike Larocca, Angela Russo-Otstot, Scott Nemes, and David Weil (Hunters) overseeing production on the Indian Original and all series within the global Citadel universe.

Josh Applebaum, André Nemec, Jeff Pinkner, and Scott Rosenberg serve as executive producers for Midnight Radio on the untitled Indian Original and all series within the global Citadel universe.

Dhawan was most recently seen in the horror comedy Bhediya that receved mixed reviews and scoed average at the box office. Apart from Citadel, he also has Nitesh Tiwari’s Bawaal in the pipeline. Bawaal also featurs Janhvi Kapoor and is in the post-production stage.