A wave of emotion swept through Assam on Friday as Roi Roi Binale, the final film of singer-composer Zubeen Garg, who died last month in Singapore, opened to overflowing cinema halls across the state.
Guwahati witnessed the first screening at 4.25 a.m., with people queuing before dawn for what many described as their last chance to see the beloved artiste on screen. Multiplexes and single screens across all major cities began shows from early morning, while the film was simultaneously released nationwide.
Such is the demand that theatres have sold out all shows for the coming week, pushing expectations of record-breaking numbers for Assamese cinema. Several halls have lined up as many as seven shows a day, running late into the night to accommodate footfall.
Also read: Assam icon Zubeen Garg’s ashes immersed in Brahmaputra
Garg, who plays a blind musician in the 146-minute film, also composed its 11-song soundtrack. Directed by Rajesh Bhuyan, the work traces the life and struggles of a musician. The trailer, which shows Garg’s character lying motionless on a beach as someone tries to wake him, drew sombre attention as a coincidence with the singer’s own death.
The celebrated musician died while swimming in the sea in Singapore on 19 September, triggering widespread mourning in Assam and among the Assamese diaspora. Alongside acting and composing, Garg also produced the film with his wife Garima and Shyamantak Gautam.
In a gesture intended to honour his legacy, the Assam cabinet on Wednesday decided that the state’s share of GST generated from the film will be handed over to the Kalaguru Artiste Foundation, established by Garg for the welfare of the downtrodden.
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