Samantha, Varun Dhawan to star in Indian original series within ‘Citadel’ franchise

"When Prime Video and Raj & DK approached me with this project, I decided to take it up in a heartbeat! After working with this team on The Family Man, it is homecoming for me," said Samantha.

Mumbai: Actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu will be starring alongside Varun Dhawan in the Indian installment of the ‘Citadel’ universe, the global-event series from Prime Video and the Russo Brothers’ AGBO.

It’s a homecoming for Samantha.

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“When Prime Video and Raj & DK approached me with this project, I decided to take it up in a heartbeat! After working with this team on The Family Man, it is homecoming for me,” said Samantha.

She added: “The Citadel universe, the interconnected storylines between the productions across the globe, and most importantly, the script of the Indian installment really excited me. I am thrilled to be a part of this brilliant universe conceptualised by the Russo Brothers’ AGBO.”

The actress said that she is also looking forward to working with Varun Dhawan for the first time, on this project.

“He is someone who is full of life and cheer when you’re around him.”

The untitled ‘Citadel’ series based out of India is being helmed by renowned creator duo Raj and DK, who are the showrunners and directors. The local installment is written by Sita R. Menon, along with Raj and DK.

The streaming service also confirmed that the production is currently underway in Mumbai. After this, the unit will head to north India and then to international locales like Serbia and South Africa.

As previously announced, Richard Madden (Bodyguard) and Priyanka Chopra Jonas will star in the first-to-launch series within the Citadel universe, which comes from the Russo Brothers’ AGBO along with David Weil and is set to premiere in 2023.

Alongside Madden and Priyanka, the first-to-launch Citadel series will also feature Stanley Tucci. Additional local-language Citadel productions are also in the works, including an Italian Original series starring Matilda De Angelis.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be working with Samantha once again. She made her streaming debut with The Family Man Season Two, on Prime Video, and is one of the most talented artistes in the industry today. We can’t wait for audiences to see her on screen in a brand new avatar, along with Varun and the incredibly talented ensemble cast we have on board for this series,a said Aparna Purohit, head of India Originals, Prime Video.

“The canvas for the Indian installment of Citadel is larger than life but the treatment and texture is retro, rooted, and quirky. The series is being shot extensively across India and international locales. With Raj & DK steering this ship and a terrifically talented cast, we are confident that the series is going to be nothing short of a spectacle.”

“We are elated to work with Samantha once again after The Family Man. Once we had the script down on paper, she was an obvious choice for this character. We couldn’t be happier to have her on board,” said creator duo Raj & DK.

“We are thrilled to have started production on Citadel India. The first leg is being shot in India, before we move onwards to Serbia and South Africa. We have an amazing crew and a tremendously talented cast, which makes the creative process all the more exciting.”