Raj
and
DK
with
Samantha,
who
stars
in
Citadel:
Honey
Bunny.
Photograph:
Kind
courtesy
Raj
And
DK/Instagram
It
was
the
beginning
of
a
beautiful
friendship
when
two
brainy
boys
met
at
an
engineering
college
in
Tirupati.
Over
the
course
of
Raj
Nidimoru
and
Krishna
Dasarakothapalli’s
journey
as
students-turned-software
professionals
working
in
America,
they
realised
their
combined
passion
for
cinema
overrides
the
desire
to
live
up
the
NRI
dream.
Tossing
away
the
security
of
well-paying
jobs
and
comfortable
lifestyles
to
deep
dive
into
the
volatile
world
of
showbiz
was
nothing
short
of
a
gamble
for
this
sorted,
sensible
duo.
But
it
sure
as
hell
has
paid
off
what
with
Raj
and
DK
emerging
as
one
of
Indian
film-making’s
topmost
voices
hailed
for
introducing
fresh
and
funny
ways
of
telling
stories
backed
by
edgy
characterisation
and
technical
savvy.
Sukanya
Verma
looks
at
their
eclectic
career
of
over
two
decades
as
their
latest
offering
Citadel:
Honey
Bunny,
the
Indian
leg
of
the
Russo
Brothers
globetrotting
spy
universe
series,
drops
on
Amazon
Prime
Video
on
November
7.
Flavors
Where
to
watch?
Amazon
Prime
Video
=
A
‘hobby’
project,
a
‘DIY’
film,
Raj
and
DK
reserve
a
special
spot
for
the
one
that
got
the
ball
rolling
while
still
going
about
their
lives
as
friends
and
fellow
engineers
in
America.
Despite
a
humble
canvas,
Flavors
attracted
favourable
attention
at
film
festivals
for
its
realistic
insights
of
the
Indian
Diaspora.
99
Where
to
watch?
Amazon
Prime
Video
Despite
a
low-key
release,
the
crime
caper
ensemble
revolving
around
the
escapades
of
two
crooks
enjoys
a
cult
following
among
everyone
who’s
watched
it.
Shor
in
the
City
Where
to
watch?
Amazon
Prime
Video,
Jio
Cinema
Set
against
the
backdrop
of
Mumbai’s
Ganeshotsav
festivities
and
frenzy,
Shor
in
the
City‘s
multi
character
arcs
converge
to
portray
the
city’s
chaotic
character
in
ways
that’s
entirely
refreshing
and
unusually
amusing.
Go
Goa
Gone
Where
to
watch?
Jio
Cinema,
ZEE5,
Amazon
Prime
Video
Raj
and
DK’s
super
trippy
zombie
fiesta
reiterates
their
range
beyond
the
realm
of
crime
proving
they
can
do
all-out
comedy
just
as
well.
Friendship,
folly
and
fun
abounds
when
the
director
duo
let
their
hair
down
alongside
Saif
Ali
Khan’s
Boris.
Happy
Ending
Where
to
watch?
ZEE5,
Amazon
Prime
Video
Perhaps
the
urban,
underplayed
humour
of
Raj
and
DK’s
stab
at
the
rom-com
genre
about
a
writer’s
woes
was
lost
on
a
majority
but
even
its
worst
critic
will
admit
laughing
out
loud
at
Govinda’s
criminally
underappreciated
portrayal
of
an
idiosyncratic
superstar.
A
Gentleman
Where
to
watch?
Disney+Hotstar
Sidharth
Malhotra’s
swanky
action
hero
in
A
Gentleman‘s
big-scale
Bang
Bang
(originally
planned
as
a
franchise
sequel
of
the
same)
showcases
the
directors’
ease
in
the
stylish
spy
space.
Too
bad
the
movie
didn’t
gather
as
much
momentum
it
should
have
at
the
time
of
its
release.
Stree
Where
to
watch?
Amazon
Prime
Video
Despite
Amar
Kaushik’s
credit
as
director,
Raj
and
DK
enjoy
a
lion’s
share
in
Stree‘s
success
as
its
original
creators
and
writers.
There’s
no
denying
their
contribution
in
creating
a
creepy,
comical
world
of
timely
allegories
and
timeless
lore
in
the
sly
messaging
and
layered
storytelling,
of
which
its
sequel
is
an
enormous
beneficiary.
Unpaused
Where
to
watch?
Amazon
Prime
Video
Unpaused,
an
anthology
released
during
the
pandemic,
captures
the
mood
during
the
lockdown
across
stories
inspired
in
that
period.
Raj
and
DK’s
dating
in
dystopia
is
one
such
segment
replete
with
their
signature
wit
and
realism.
The
Family
Man
Where
to
watch?
Amazon
Prime
Video
One
of
their
most
celebrated
creations,
The
Family
Man
proved
to
be
a
game-changer
in
the
desi
OTT
scene
as
Manoj
Bajpayee’s
titular
avatar
sprung
life
into
its
subversive
espionage
saga
and
stunning
ambitions
over
the
course
of
two
sprawling
world
building
seasons.
Farzi
Where
to
watch?
Amazon
Prime
Video
Shahid
Kapoor
and
Vijay
Sethupati
engage
in
a
cat
and
mouse
game
over
counterfeit
currency
under
Raj
and
DK’s
assured
treatment.
Farzi
benefits
from
a
cast
committed
to
deliver
and
creators
who
get
the
long
form
medium
better
than
any
of
their
contemporaries.
Guns
&
Gulaabs
Where
to
watch?
Netflix
Call
it
the
Raj
&
DK
brand
or
formula,
there’s
a
method
to
their
madness
when
it
comes
to
exploring
stories
imbued
in
dark
crime
and
darker
comedy
that
colours
both
their
nostalgia
as
well
as
their
characters
in
sure
shot
charisma
and
precarious
charm
for
all
the
right
reasons
and
wrong.
