Samantha Ruth Prabhu Joins Varun Dhawan in Cast of Russo Brothers ‘Citadel’ Series Indian Version, Production Begins (EXCLUSIVE)

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Prolific actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu has been confirmed as the co-lead alongside Varun Dhawan in the Indian instalment of “Citadel,” an espionage action series created by the Russo brothers’ AGBO for Amazon’s Prime Video.

Ruth Prabhu, who works primarily works in the southern Indian film industry, was the lead in 2022 thriller “Yashoda” and made an impact across India with her special appearance in “Pushpa: The Rise – Part 1,” one of the biggest Indian box office hits of 2021, and also in the second season of Prime Video’s “The Family Man.”

“The mission is on. We have started rolling for the Indian installment of Citadel,” Ruth Prabhu said in an Instagram posting.

The untitled Indian ‘Citadel’ series is led by renowned “The Family Man” creator duo Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK (together known as Raj & DK), who are the showrunners, directors and executive producers. The screenplay is written by Sita R. Menon, along with Raj & DK.

Production is currently underway in Mumbai. The unit will next head to northern Indian locations, followed by Serbia and South Africa.

The series is produced by Raj & DK’s D2R Films and Amazon Studios, with AGBO’s Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Mike Larocca, Angela Russo-Otstot, Scott Nemes, and David Weil (“Hunters”) overseeing production on the Indian original and all series within the global “Citadel” universe. Josh Applebaum, André Nemec, Jeff Pinkner, and Scott Rosenberg serve as executive producers for Midnight Radio on the untitled Indian original and all series within the “Citadel” universe.

Richard Madden (“Bodyguard”), Priyanka Chopra Jonas (“Quantico”) and Stanley Tucci have previously been announced as starring in the first-to-launch series within the “Citadel” universe. The show comes from AGBO and Weil and is set to premiere in 2023.

Additional local-language “Citadel” productions are also in the works, including an Italian original series starring Matilda De Angelis (“The Undoing”).

Aparna Purohit, head of India originals, Prime Video, said: “The canvas for the Indian instalment 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.”

Raj & DK added: “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.”

Ruth Prabhu said: “The ‘Citadel’ universe, the interconnected storylines between the productions across the globe, and most importantly, the script of the Indian instalment really excited me. I am thrilled to be a part of this brilliant universe conceptualised by the Russo Brothers’ AGBO. I am also looking forward to be working with Varun for the first time, on this project. He is someone who is full of life and cheer when you’re around him.”

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