Why Samantha Prabhu wasn't the first choice to star in Citadel: Honey Bunny

As Citadel: Honey Bunny prepares for its release, there’s a surprising explanation for why one of its stars almost didn’t get the lead role!

Citadel has already turned into a big franchise for Prime Video. Premiering in 2023, it’s the creation of the Russo Brothers, well known for writing and directing the Marvel hits Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. At just six episodes with a reported whopping $300 million price tag, it’s something the streamer has a lot of confidence in.

The story tells of Citadel, a top international spy agency that virtually overnight is destroyed by its rival agency, Manticore. The few survivors have their memories of their past erased and living new lives. In the present, former agents (and lovers) Mason (Richard Madden) and Nadia (Priyanka Chopra) reunite to regain their past and fight Manticore.

The show’s first season ended well and there was a spin-off, Diana, set in Italy by Italian television. The show is expanding more with the upcoming Honey Bunny, which promises a unique prequel tale. 

Set in the 1990s, the series centers around Honey (Samantha Ruth Prabhu), an aspiring Bollywood actress who’s hired by Rahi (Varun Dhawan) for what she thinks is an acting gig. She discovers he’s actually Citadel agent Bunny and soon they’re thrown into a wild adventure. What’s notable is the pair are the parents of Nadia, with an elder Rahi, played by Paul Bazely in the main Citadel series. 

It appears to be a fun take on the property, with the 1990s era and India setting. Yet it turns out that Prabhu almost missed the show for a unique reason.

Speaking to India’s News 18, showrunners Raj Nidimoru and Krishan DK detailed that a key issue is that India has different languages. Most of the Bollywood stars speak Hindi, while other areas use Telugu or Tamil. It’s basically like someone who’s only spoken English their entire life being asked to learn a different language. 

While Prabhu had carved a notable career in Indian movies and TV shows, those were Telugu-speaking roles. That was why Prabhu wasn’t a top choice, as her Hindi experience was limited. Yet her talents were too much to ignore. The showrunners explained:

"There was always the question of how she would do this whole role. And then, I was surprised how she suddenly learned a new language like Hindi. For a Hindi-speaking person to speak Telugu or Tamil, it’s almost next to impossible to sound right. Similarly, for a Telugu or Tamil speaker, picking up Hindi is tough. That’s why I thought that it was impossible to get an actor like Samantha, who could get close to getting the language right. Hence, we weren’t thinking of Samantha at that point at all. "

Prabhu trained herself to learn the language. She did have experience with both Hindi and spy fare already which likely helped, starring in the Prime Video series The Family Man.

Thus, when Citadel: Honey Bunny debuts, fans know that the training Prabhu takes isn’t just physical but even mastering a language, just like a good spy would.

Citadel: Honey Bunny premieres Nov. 7 on Prime Video.