Is First Copy worth watching? Hey, if you’re drawn to character-driven crime dramas with retro vibes, this eight-episode series set in 1990s Mumbai offers an intriguing, albeit uneven, look at the film-piracy underworld, supported by solid performances and immersive design.
.jpg "First Copy (2025) Season 1 Review: A Gritty Dive into 90s Mumbai Piracy")
Overview
Set against the era of VHS tapes and black-market video parlors, First Copy follows Arif (Munawar Faruqui), a humiliated outsider who builds a piracy empire, only to face moral conflicts and law-enforcement pursuit. Director Farhan Zamma aims to capture the “risk and romance of the piracy era,” per Bollywood Hungama’s interview with Amazon MX Player’s Head of Content, Amogh Dusad, who calls it “a powerful underdog story” (bollywoodhungama.com).
Story & Themes
A slow burn characterizes Arif's (Munawar Faruqui) transformation from desperate idealist to pirate kingpin.Ambition vs. Morality: When every achievement necessitates making concessions, it puts ethics and loyalty to the test.
Memories & time Detail: The production design evokes claustrophobic chawls, bustling video stores, and slang from the period.
Grey Ethics: The Viewers consider whether using illegal means to survive is justified.
Even though some plot twists adhere to well-known crime clichés, Mumbai dramas continue to emphasize piracy. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com).
Cast & Performances
Bollywood Hungama says that Krystle D'Souza's layered performance as Mona adds depth as a woman dealing with glamour and ties to the underworld, showing that she has power even when things are crazy.
Gulshan Grover and the Ensemble: Grover's controlled threat keeps the points of view of people who work in the industry in check. Saqib Ayub plays a cop, and Ashi Singh's emotional arcs round out a strong cast that has been praised for being consistent.
Direction & Production
Farhan Zamma envisions a textured Mumbai where pirated tapes are available before movies come out in theaters. Realistic art direction, like VHS players and neon-lit parlors, and a soundtrack that fits the time period make the experience even more real. But the pacing is slow: the first few episodes may feel like they are going nowhere until the stakes rise near the end (iwmbuzz.com).
Reviews and Ratings
Critics gave First Copy a 3 out of 5 from the Times of India, saying it was a good one-time watch for people who like slow-burning movies. The average viewer rating on streaming services is 3.6 out of 5. People like the nostalgia and the premise, but they don't like the filler scenes and how predictable the show is. The buzz on social media shows that people are interested in piracy's untold stories.Context: Piracy’s Impact
In India, VCRs and cable were widely used in the 1990s, which fueled the growth of piracy. According to scholarly research, during that time, piracy had an impact on industry revenues and creative incentives. First Copy draws on this past, encouraging contemplation about how earlier piracy influenced Bollywood's development.
Final Verdict
First Copy Season 1 gives us a look into Mumbai's piracy underworld with believable acting and real-life sets. Some people might find the slow pace and occasional predictability hard to handle, but the new idea and deep themes make it a good choice for fans of old crime dramas. If you like stories that are told methodically and miss the 1990s, give it a try and see if the underdog story works for you.
