'Citadel: Honey Bunny' turns up the heat but one character deserves his own spin-off
Contains spoilers for 'Citadel'
MUMBAI, INDIA: 'Citadel: Honey Bunny' has just arrived on Prime Video and we couldn't be more excited. The Indian spin-off of the Russo Brothers' spy action universe serves as a prequel to Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden's starrer 2023 series 'Citadel'. The series follows the story of Honey, a struggling actress, and Bunny, a stuntman, who are embroiled in a dangerous world of espionage and life-threatening missions.
This prequel serves as a pivotal addition to the franchise as it gives us a brief glimpse into the childhood of Nadia (played by Priyanka Chopra in 'Citadel'), which explains her fierceness in the original series. Indian stars Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu take on the lead role in 'Citadel: Honey Bunny' but it is Kay Kay Menon whose character and performance have bowled us over.
Why Kay Kay Menon's character in 'Citadel: Honey Bunny' is our favorite
While Dhawan and Prabhu do all the sleek action, it's Kay Kay Menon whose character has intrigued us the most. The 58-year-old actor plays Guru, who adopts Bunny from an orphanage and shapes him into an agent for his foundation.
For Bunny, Guru is everything—his mentor, guide, almost a godlike figure whose every word is law. Guru’s character is complex, layered with shades that make you wonder if he’s a hero or a villain. At first, he seems like a savior, a man offering boys like Bunny a second chance at life by adopting them. However, as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that his motivations aren’t so pure. He’s not rescuing these young boys out of the goodness of his heart, instead, he’s building a team of agents with men who have no strings attached, no ties to hold them back.
Guru is manipulative, controlling, and skilled at keeping Bunny in his grip. While he shows care, he never lets Bunny forget his past at the orphanage, reminding him that he owes everything to Guru. It’s a clever trap—Bunny remains forever indebted, bound to obey every command. Guru’s influence over Bunny is powerful, calculated, and relentless.
Here's why Kay Kay Menon deserves his own 'Citadel' spin-off
Kay Kay Menon has ample screen time in 'Citadel: Honey Bunny,' but it doesn't feel enough. His story in itself is quite intriguing, as hinted by the later episodes of the series. Formerly a part of Citadel, he broke ties to start his agency. Citadel has labelled him a traitor but as the narrative unfolds, he gets a chance to share his side of the story.
While in the Citadel detention center being interrogated by Zooni (Simran Bagga), he reveals that he didn’t kill the head of the agency, Rinzel. He explains that he isn’t a traitor; in fact, he and Rinzel had been planning to start their agency. After Rinzel’s death, he continued pursuing that shared dream. The revelation adds further complexity to the character and it's hard to choose yet again what side of the moral spectrum he falls upon.
His character deserves a solo spotlight where we can get a deep dive into his life at Citadel and what prompted him to go against the agency. It would also be intriguing to see what transpired between him and Rinzel, followed by his cat-and-mouse chase with Citadel.
'Citadel: Honey Bunny' is now streaming on Prime Video