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Fans throng theatres as Zubeen Garg’s last film releases 42 days after his death
Garg’s family and the team ensured Roi Roi Binale was released as per schedule despite the singer, composer, poet, filmmaker, and actor’s death on September 19
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 he died in Singapore last month. Garg’s garlanded photos and lamps were kept at theatres, and some hall owners even left a seat vacant for all shows.
The movie was in the final stages of production and Garg had scheduled its release for October 31 when he died. Garg’s family and the team ensured it was released as per schedule. In Guwahati, where fans braved rain, 179 shows of the film were being screened on the first day. The first screening started at 4:25am, and the last was scheduled for 11:50 pm.
Rajesh Bhuyan directed the movie, a musical with Garg in the lead role of a visually-impaired singer. Garg wrote the movie, composed its music, and produced it along with his wife Garrima Saikia Garg.
All Assam Cinema Hall Owners Association general secretary Rajib Bora said the movie has been released in over 90 single-screen movie theatres and multiplexes, a record for any Assamese film. “The response has been overwhelming, and tickets for almost all shows for the first week are sold out.”
Roi Roi Binale was being screened in over 70 theatres and multiplexes in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Kochi.
In Assam, new theatres were opened ahead of schedule, and some old single-screen ones were spruced up and reopened for Garg’s last movie. Organisations booked entire shows at some places. The Asom Gana Parishad booked one show at a Guwahati theatre.
Bora, also the proprietor of Gold Cinemas, said the movie was being screened in 12 of their halls across nine towns. “Our new theatre will be opened at Hojai to show Roi Roi Binale.” He urged people to discourage piracy and warned of strict measures if case of any violations.
Millions paid their last respects to Garg and attended his last rites. His cremation site will be turned into a memorial. Thousands have been offering tributes there.
People paid respects to Garg’s photos before entering theatres on Friday. The audience stood up in some halls to sing Mayabini, a popular Garg song. Many were seen wiping tears or crying while coming out after the screenings.
The trailer of the movie showed the struggles of the singer he plays in the movie. One of the scenes shows Garg lying unconscious on a beach with someone trying to revive him, a striking similarity to how he died in Singapore.
Bhattadev University deputy registrar Upakul Sarmah said it seemed Garg poured out his heart and soul in the film. “He touched several important issues, which we are not able to say out loud, with ease in the movies, including the targeting of innocent children in the name of revolution. What struck me was the message to all Assamese that we can swim if we stay together.”
The movie is expected to break records for revenue collections in the Assamese movie industry. Bidurbhai, the highest-grossing movie to date, released in 2024, generated over ₹15.75 crore. “It will be difficult to guess how much the movie will earn, but it will cross all previous records. Conservatively, we expect Roi Roi Binale to collect anything beyond ₹50 crore,” said Bora.
On Wednesday, the Assam Cabinet decided to pay the state’s share of tax collected from the movie to Kalaguru Artiste Foundation, which Garg set up to help artists during healthcare emergencies, and for flood relief measures and financial help to students.
Two simultaneous probes are underway in Singapore and in Assam into the suspicious circumstances leading to Garg’s death. Seven people, including his manager, a cousin, an event organiser, two of his band mates, and two guards, are in custody for their alleged roles in Garg’s death.
