An emotional wave swept across Assam on Friday as fans gathered in massive numbers to witness the release of Zubeen Garg’s final cinematic creation, Roi Roi Binale. The premiere became a day of collective mourning and celebration, with theatres packed beyond capacity as admirers came together to relive the voice, music, and charisma of the icon who shaped Assamese culture for more than three decades.
In Guwahati, crowds began assembling outside major cinemas like Anuradha Cine Complex, Matrix, PVR, and Apsara as early as 5 a.m. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation, and the morning turned into a heartfelt tribute to the legendary artist whose presence still reigns over Assam.
The excitement was equally strong across the state. In Kokrajhar, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, and Silchar fans gathered at dawn, many lighting lamps and offering prayers before the screen illuminated with Zubeen’s final performance.
With massive footfall and unprecedented interest, theatre owners ramped up show frequencies. Some cinemas are now running up to seven screenings a day, beginning at 4:45 a.m. and continuing late into the night. New screens are being added daily, forming what is now celebrated as the biggest theatrical release in Assamese film history.
Roi Roi Binale features Zubeen Garg as a blind musician navigating immense personal and artistic struggles. The 146-minute film, directed by Rajesh Bhuyan and produced by Zubeen along with Garima Saikia Garg and Shyamantak Gautam, includes 11 songs composed by the late artist. Its intense trailer, showcasing a musician lying motionless on a beach, drew emotional reactions for its eerie parallel to Garg’s real life death in Singapore in September.
The film’s release has created extraordinary demand. Screens have expanded across the Northeast and major metropolitan cities including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi NCR, and Pune. The film is also reaching states and cities where an Assamese film has never been screened before, such as Lucknow, Indore, Patna, Jaipur, Ranchi, and Goa. Requests have even come in from Nepal for showings.
In a heartfelt tribute, a special seat has been reserved for Zubeen in theatres statewide. In Guwahati’s Matrix Cinema Hall, a sofa draped with a traditional gamosa and a framed photograph stood as his royal seat — symbolising the presence of the man who defined Assamese music and cinema.
Similar tributes were seen in theatres across the state, from Dhekiajuli to Tinsukia — where Zubeen’s cutout watched over the audience like a king witnessing his own coronation.
Distributors expect the film to continue running uninterrupted for at least two months in the region as no other movie is currently being screened in Assam due to public demand.
For millions, the day carries a sense of bittersweet pride. As lights dimmed and the first frame appeared, audiences across Assam stood together in a moment of silence. It was not only the release of a film but the celebration of a legend whose melodies, passion, and spirit will never fade.
