The Indo-Russo treaty

Anthony Russo, Angela Russo-Otstot and Joe Russo

It's through kundalini yoga," says filmmaker Anthony Russo, for his deeply personal affinity to all things India. Which is somewhat ironic.

Anthony is one half of Russo Bros - the world's most commercially successful filmmakers - best known for directing Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Endgame (2019), from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Anthony and Joe Russo

While both their global, blast-fest, super-blockbusters were loaded with an obvious sub-text, neither can be accused of possessing any yogic/meditative quality to them!

Be that as it may, delving into the Russo Bros' fascination with India appears obvious.

Avengers Endgame

Consider some of their recent work as producers: Extraction (2020), shot in Ahmedabad, that pitted America's top pin-up, Chris Hemsworth, against Hindi cinema's lead, Randeep Hooda.

Amazon Prime Video's spy-universe series, Citadel, that has Bollywood-Hollywood crossover star, Priyanka Chopra, playing the protagonist.

Citadel Honey Bunny

Indeed, Citadel's independent offshoot, Honey Bunny, that's wholly an Indian/Hindi show, headlined by Bollywood hero, Varun Dhawan.

And the reason mid-day met Anthony, exclusively in London, before the series drops on Prime Video, November 7.

Anthony Russo, Angela Russo-Otstot, David Weil

Arguably, no other A-lister from American entertainment has looked towards India in such mainstream ways. This gaze can't be accidental, right?

Well, it's not. Anthony says, "The tipping point was the success of the Marvel films that we did." Besides Avengers, they've directed two Captain America titles (The Winter Soldier, Civil War).

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The Avengers movies, in particular, had suitably shaken up the Indian box-office, to a serious invasion from Hollywood.

Anthony recalls he closely watched desi audiences' reactions to those films, through several videos, sent over to him: "It was overwhelming to observe that passion and excitement in the [Indian] movie theatres: to understand how those movies were moving and impacting people."

India, hence, became their next stop.

To be fair to the brothers, while this Indo-Russo friendship treaty endures, they've actively pursued a ‘look east' policy ever since acquiring Thanos-like powers in the global mainstream.

For instance, financing an LA-Beijing joint company, to produce a Chinese super-hero film (The Hero's Awakening). Let alone the absurdist, sleeper super-hit, Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022), about Chinese-American immigrants, that they were the less-advertised partnering producers of.

This global outreach dates back to the Russos' origin story. Much before they became the only directors (after James Cameron) to post two $2 billion films at the global box-office (with the two Avengers, of course).

They began as indie directors, from Cleveland, Ohio, breaking out with the boutique Slamdance Film Festival, where Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney spotted them and backed Welcome to Collingwood (2002).

Anthony says, "We grew up as big fans of global cinema, with a heightened sense of the wonderful places that truly embraced cinema, through people dealing in the craft. India, of course, was one of them."

Also, Citadel, as a global spy series, with region-specific spin-offs, lends itself naturally to "collaborations with creators" from across the world. The Italian Citadel, Diana, dropped on Prime Video in October.

As we speak, Anthony's brother Joe/Joseph is filming the second season of Citadel, at a classified location, off London, with the leads, Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden. mid-day had access to the studio, during shoot. Only to marvel at the scale and precision of the action enterprise.

Even if bulimic/low-key, is there an equivalent to the Russo Bros in Bollywood? Let's go with directors Abbas-Mustan! What Abbas-Mustan have in common with the Russos is a sibling, in the shadow, that we barely get to hear of.

As in, film editor Hussain, who's third of the Burmawalla Bros. Likewise, sister Angela Russo-Otstot, who's verymuch been part of the Russo Bros story - as executive producer of several of their works, including the Citadel global franchise.

Is it a further coincidence that of all the gin joints in Bombay, the directors that Angela picked to create the Hindi/Indian arm of Citadel, Honey Bunny, were also a filmmaker duo, Raj & DK?

Having knocked back their filmography, Angela says, "Raj & DK have a lot of shared sensibilities with Anthony and Joe."

That said, what Raj & DK have achieved with Honey Bunny is a wholly different take on the Citadel cinematic universe. More rooted and intimate, less techy - pretty much a period piece, with Varun Dhawan playing a Bollywood stunt-man, in a prequel to the original spy series.

Which was also the point. As Angela points out, "The goal was to allow filmmakers to remain authentic to their own sensibilities. We wanted them to continue their artistic journey.

"For a brief, what [Citadel creator] David [Weil] and I talked about was primarily the theme. That largely revolved around family, identity, and the struggle/balance between lies and truth, which is unique to the spy archetype."

That archetype, in this case, is centred on a Good Samaritan network of ex-spies, i.e. Citadel, saving the world, from the antagonists, Manticore, another espionage ring, funded/run by the world's vilest, who're essentially the wealthiest.

There's, of course, a lot of myth-taking - only framed in reality of sorts.

Unlike the Russo Bros' MCU, that's pure mythology. Which works, because mainstream audiences believe in it, like blind faith, even religion.

Only fair to check with the Russo siblings then, if they believe? In their own global conspiracy theories, surrounding Citadel/Manticore, that is!

Angela says, "That's a good question," to let her brother Anthony take it.

He reasons, "Part of the reason we like working in the spy, fantasy, or ‘genre' space, is because it's slightly different from real life. It's a construct that we can have fun with.

This allows audiences to engage - with complicated ideas, experiences, and global/political situations, without getting triggered [by it]. It's a step removed [from reality]; [feels] a little safer. That's part of the virtue of Citadel."

Okay, but do you believe in Citadel/Manticore?

Citadel creator David Weil adds, "We believe that it's possible. To [Anthony's] point that there is fantasy, even sci-fi elements - that's for the fact that we are five minutes into future. And this could potentially happen. So, we love to explore what could actually be. But may not be [the case] today."