The Russo brothers have found their star for the Indian installment of the mega-budget action spy series Citadel. Bollywood star Varun Dhawan will lead the cast of the AGBO-produced Indian series for Amazon Prime Video, the Russos revealed Tuesday.
The still untitled Indian project is set within the Russo’s “Citadel universe,” a sprawling series franchise that spans productions in various countries, all of which build back to an interconnected storyline. The core U.S. component of the franchise is reportedly already among the most expensive TV series ever produced. The Bollywood series component, which will go into production in 2023, will be directed by acclaimed creator duo Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK (known as Raj & DK).
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A prolific talent, Dhawan descends from a Bollywood filmmaking dynasty (his father is veteran director David Dhawan), with credits including Dilwale, Dishoom, Badlapur, October, and, most recently, the 2022 hit family comedy Jugjugg Jeeyo. The Citadel project will be his first series for a streamer.
“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,” said Aparna Purohit, head of India originals at Prime Video. “Having Varun make his streaming debut and headline this Prime Video series is a matter of great pride for us.”
Best known for their directorial work on Marvel tentpoles, the Russo brothers co-founded AGBO in 2017. The banner’s credits include the Netflix action films Extraction and The Gray Man, and this year’s hit indie film Everything Everywhere All at Once.
As previously announced, Richard Madden (Bodyguard) and Priyanka Chopra Jonas (Quantico) will star in the first-to-launch series within the Citadel universe, which comes from AGBO along with David Weil (Hunters) and is set to premiere in 2023. The series will also feature Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games saga). Additional local-language Citadel productions are also in the works, including an Italian original series starring Matilda De Angelis (The Undoing).
Added Raj & DK in a statement: “We’ve worked very hard collaborating with the other international teams to bring a unique interwoven universe to our audiences.”
Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK under their banner D2R Films will also serve as executive producers. The series is produced by D2R Films, and Amazon Studios, with AGBO’s Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Mike Larocca, Angela Russo-Otstot, Scott Nemes and Weil overseeing production on the Indian original and all series within the global Citadel universe. Josh Appelbaum, 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.
