Varun Dhawan Opens Up About Action Film Aspirations and Budget Challenges Ahead of Citadel: Honey Bunny Release

Varun Dhawan recently shared insights into his pursuit of action roles, revealing an interaction with YRF Chairman and Managing Director, Aditya Chopra. During the trailer launch of his upcoming spy-thriller web series Citadel: Honey Bunny, held in Mumbai, Dhawan discussed his eagerness to be a part of action films.

The actor recounted a conversation with Chopra, in which he asked the industry stalwart why younger talent like himself wasn't being considered for action-packed projects. "I asked Aditya Chopra why can’t he make an action film with a younger talent and if he can cast me in a film. But he said he only wanted to give me acting roles, not action," Dhawan explained. However, Chopra cited budget constraints as the main reason for not involving him in such ventures. "But I kept pursuing him, and then he told me, ‘Look, I can’t do that because I can’t give you that budget right now. You’re not at that place where I can give you such a big budget.’"

Dhawan further elaborated on his quest to understand what it takes to produce a high-budget action film. "I kept thinking about it and then later asked him what is the budget. He then gave me a figure that you need to make something big in action," he revealed.

Citadel: Honey Bunny, in which Dhawan stars alongside Samantha Ruth Prabhu, gave him the opportunity to dive into the action genre. Reflecting on his experience with the series, Dhawan said, "When this (Citadel: Honey Bunny) came, I asked Raj and DK, as well as Amazon what is the budget. Because my knowledge came from Aditya Chopra about how much one needs to make something look good in action. I’m grateful to them for giving us this platform because that’s needed to make the action look big and the actors larger than life."

The series, a spin-off prequel to the Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden starrer Citadel, features Dhawan and Prabhu as spies Bunny and Honey. The plot also introduces a young Nadia Sinh, portrayed by 8-year-old Kasvi, tying the narrative into the larger Citadel universe. The cast includes Kay Kay Menon, Simran Bagga, Sikandar Kher, and Saqib Saleem in key roles.

Citadel: Honey Bunny is slated for release on November 7, 2024, promising intense action sequences and a thrilling storyline.