Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Defying convention lies at the heart of Raj & DK’s creative ethos. Their work thrives on bending — and at times shattering — the boundaries of genre, as they not only stretch these confines to their limits but often abandon them entirely. By knitting humour with thrills and injecting unpredictability into familiar tropes, they create a world where traditional storytelling rules feel almost irrelevant. Their approach is both a critique and a mockery of genre tropes, resulting in a rollicking rebellion that’s as self-aware as it is exhilarating. In their hands, even the most overdone cliches are reinvented, dismantled, or turned on their heads. If they can be defined by any formula, it is one of genre-defiance; subversive is, perhaps, the only label that captures the quintessence of their distinctive craft.
The Family Man stands as a powerful testament to Raj & DK’s genre-bending approach. Here, the espionage genre transforms, giving us a spy not merely engaged in combat with external foes but embroiled in the complexities of his strained marriage and familial obligations. Here is a protagonist whose battles extend inward, questioning his own self-worth as both a spy and a citizen. His inability to protect his nation while also safeguarding his colleagues — leave him emotionally bereft. Haunted by the guilt of failing those falsely accused, he bears the weight of a conscience troubled by his own limitations and the moral ambiguities of his role. He cannot readily reconcile with the ease and finesse with which the system transforms its blunders into celebrated victories.
This subversive approach allows Raj & DK to infuse a genre — one typically marked by hyper-nationalism and a rigid status quo — with a sharp political edge. Even in other ventures like Guns & Gulaabs, arguably among their less compelling works, they demonstrate a remarkable wit and self-awareness. By tackling 90s Bollywood nostalgia, they craft a clever mockery of a genre that often drift towards satire itself — a bold choice that stands as testament to their unique voice. But what if they were to abandon this signature reversal of tropes? What if, instead, they embraced the formula, adhering strictly to convention? Would they find resonance in the very cliches they usually dismantle?
The answer is both yes and no. With their latest venture, Citadel: Honey Bunny, starring Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Varun Dhawan — a spin-off within the Citadel universe of the Russo Brothers’ 2023 American spy series — Raj & DK seem to embrace, almost punctiliously, every trope in the espionage playbook. In this uncharacteristic onslaught into pure formula, they explore the full gamut of genre conventions. Start with charismatic, deeply skilled spies? Present. High-stakes missions in exotic locales? Without a doubt. Cutting-edge gadgets at every turn? Certainly. A villain plotting grandiose world domination? Of course. A MacGuffin-style gadget threatening to dismantle world order? It’s there. And the personal lives of the spies on the line? Unquestionably. The result feels less like a series and more like a genre manual: a primer for those new to the world of espionage storytelling. It’s as though someone challenged the duo to create a series that inverts the quirky originality of The Family Man into a straightforward exercise in genre familiarity.
The series ultimately emerges as a mixed bag, landing somewhere in the realm of mediocrity. These well-worn cliches strip Raj & DK of the wit and humour that have become their hallmark, leaving little room for the sharp inventiveness expected from them. Plot twists can be spotted miles away, characters unload exposition at every opportunity, and entire episodes play out as filler, slowing the pace and leaving the audience languishing in anticipation, waiting for something to spark. The wait becomes both tedious and taxing. But, it would be unfair to dismiss Citadel: Honey Bunny entirely as futile. The duo is undoubtedly in the midst of a golden run on streaming platforms, so even in their less compelling works, there remains much to admire and appreciate. Here, they achieve what even seasoned directors sometimes miss: adhering to formulaic storytelling while still managing to inject some moments of subversive flair.
Together with the series director, Sita Menon, Raj & DK take a refreshing step away from the futuristic aesthetic typical of espionage narratives, setting their story instead in the 1990s — specifically, within the cinematic landscape of Bombay at that time. This brings a dose of nostalgic charm: a pivotal secret hidden on a VHS tape of Ramesh Sippy’s Shaan, an emotional connection formed through Sridevi’s B-grade actioner Gair Kanooni, and Parveen Babi’s iconic song ‘Raat Baaki Baat Baaki’ heightening the intensity of an action sequence. This shift also removes the genre’s usual obsession with high-tech gadgetry, freeing the narrative from the conveniences technology typically affords. Instead, the spies grapple with wizardry, frequently frustrated by devices and a tech expert who must tirelessly guide them through basic functionalities.
The spies find themselves confronting deeper existential dilemmas — questions about their true purpose and the murky boundaries between right and wrong. In a genre where spies are typically expected to silence their conscience and submit to the status quo: Bunny (Varun Dhawan) follows this path, loyally adhering to his orders for much of the series. But, his trajectory takes a turn when Honey (a standout Samantha Ruth Prabhu) challenges him to discern between what he’s obligated to do and what he believes he should do. Honey not only takes on the antagonists with superb courage but also resists the relentless indoctrination a spy endures under the guise of duty and the “greater good.” In an ingenious twist, she embodies the role of a honey-trapper, however, the one trapped isn’t her target, but herself — as she finally experiences the fatherly love she’s craved for all her life.
The series serves up plenty of moments showcasing Honey in spectacular, signature action sequences that have become synonymous with Raj & DK’s style. Here, also they raise the stakes, crafting set pieces that don’t serve to fulfil the genre’s usual “save-the-world” blueprint. Instead, they function as a clever critique of the genre itself: centering Honey’s struggle to protect herself and her daughter, grounding the chaos in the preservation of her own “world order.” Among these, three single-take action set pieces stand out, especially the climactic one in the first episode, which carries an almost video game aesthetic — so much so that it could easily double as an entry sequence for any mass-action hero in contemporary cinema. So what if Raj & DK’s latest effort didn’t quite hit the mark? The world of full-throttle masala action is ripe for their touch, and there’s no better time than now for them to take the plunge.
Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.
