MUMBAI, India – June 24, 2025 – In an era where online piracy continues to bleed the Indian entertainment industry dry, Munawar Faruqui’s debut web series, “First Copy,” has pulled off a strategic masterstroke that’s redefining the fight against content theft.
Initially, digital whispers and widespread sharing of “pirated” links suggested that “First Copy” had fallen victim on its launch. Fans who eagerly clicked, witnessing what appeared to be a genuine introduction scene, soon found themselves unexpectedly “schooled” by the comedian himself just minutes into the video. It was a bait-and-switch designed to perfection.
As Munawar Faruqui revealed in his now-famous video message, “Tumko laga First Copy leak hogayi, aur tumlog dekhne bhi aagaye? Agar First copy dekha hota naa Amazon MX Player pe, toh tereko pata hota ki First copy naa, Arif ki marzi ke bina leak nahi ho sakti. Toh First Copy dekhne ke liye idhar udhar mat baagho, Amazon MX Player par bilkul free mein hai toh jaao aur dekho.”
This bold strategy from the “First Copy” camp stands in stark contrast to traditional post-piracy damage control. Instead of merely reacting to unauthorized distribution, they proactively used the very channels of piracy to deliver a powerful, personalized message. It’s a testament to the show’s ironic theme – a narrative about a “piracy kingpin” – that it could so cleverly turn the tables on real-world content thieves.