Thousands of Zubeen Garg fans thronged movie theatres across Assam on Friday as the cultural icon’s last film, Roi Roi Binale, released 42 days after his passing in Singapore. Theatres paid tribute to Garg with his garlanded photos and lamps, and some even kept a seat vacant for all shows.
The film, which was in its final production stages, had its release scheduled for October 31, the same day Garg passed away. His family and the production team ensured the movie was released as planned. In Guwahati, despite the rain, 179 shows were screened on the opening day, with the first screening starting at 4:25 am.
Directed by Rajesh Bhuyan, Roi Roi Binale is a musical where Garg plays the lead role of a visually-impaired singer. He also penned the script and composed the music for the film, co-producing it with his wife, Garrima Saikia Garg.
According to Rajib Bora, general secretary of the All Assam Cinema Hall Owners Association, the movie has been released in over 90 single-screen theatres and multiplexes, a record for an Assamese film. He noted the overwhelming response, with tickets for most shows in the first week already sold out. The film is also being shown in over 70 theatres and multiplexes across major cities nationwide.
In Assam, new theatres were opened ahead of schedule, and some older single-screen venues were refurbished for the release. Several organizations and even political parties, like the Asom Gana Parishad, booked entire shows to commemorate Garg’s legacy.
The industry anticipates that Roi Roi Binale will break previous revenue records for Assamese cinema, with conservative estimates suggesting it could earn over ₹50 crore, significantly surpassing the ₹15.75 crore grossed by last year’s hit, ‘Bidurbhai.’
The Assam Cabinet has decided to contribute the state’s share of taxes collected from the movie to the Kalaguru Artiste Foundation, an organization established by Garg to assist artists during medical emergencies. The foundation also supports flood relief and student aid initiatives.
Meanwhile, investigations into the circumstances surrounding Garg’s death are ongoing in both Singapore and Assam, with seven individuals currently in custody.