Mumbai: Comedian and reality TV star Munawar Faruqui recently made his much-awaited acting debut with the web series First Copy, which is currently streaming on Amazon MX Player. The series also stars Krystle D’Souza and Ashi Singh in lead roles and is written and directed by Farhan P. Zamma.
What came as a pleasant surprise for fans, especially those from Hyderabad, was the appearance of popular Hyderabadi actor Mast Ali, famously known as Saleem Pheku from the cult classic The Angrez. In First Copy, Mast Ali plays the role of Munawar’s (Arif’s) brother-in-law.
During a recent fan interaction, when someone from Hyderabad asked Munawar, “Aapki Saleem Pheku se bani kaise?”, the comedian couldn’t stop gushing about the Dakhani star. He responded, “He is too good, Bhai. Mein pehle din jab mila unse, meine bola mein Angrez ka bahaut bada fan hoon.”
Talking about his experience working alongside Mast Ali, Munawar shared, “Jab scene hota tha, woh mujhe Saleem Pheku nazar aate the. Mathlab aage he nahi bad paata tha.” He further added with a smile, “Ek scene mein mujhe unse jhagda karna hota hai, lekin mujhse jhagda he nahi hota tha. Meko usmein sirf Saleem Pheku hi nazar aara tha.”
The comic’s admiration for Mast Ali clearly stole the spotlight during promotions, delighting fans who still cherish the legacy of The Angrez.
For the unversed, First Copy was largely shot at Hyderabad’s Ramoji Film City and marks the beginning of Munawar’s journey as an actor.
