Assam's heartthrob and legendary singer-composer Zubeen Garg's last film, Roi Roi Binale, released nationwide on October 31 amid an overwhelming response from fans.
What's Happening
- The musical drama, which Zubeen Garg had been planning for nearly 19 years, marks his final on-screen appearance, a project he completed just before his death in Singapore on September 19.
- Thousands of fans across Assam braved heavy rains and lined up outside theatres as early as 4 AM for the first shows.
- Every screening across the state is house full, with tickets for the entire first week already sold out.
- In an unprecedented move, cinema halls across Assam are screening only Roi Roi Binale, no other movie will be shown in the state.
- The movie has also opened in over 30 cities across India, with around 800 screenings nationwide.
- It is expected to earn no less than Rs 100 crore, potentially becoming a game-changer for Assamese cinema.
- To meet the massive demand, around eight new screens have been opened across Assam, with shows scheduled from 5 AM till midnight.
- In a special tribute, the Assam government has announced that the State GST collections from the film's release will be transferred to the Kalaguru Artists Foundation, which was set up by Zubeen Garg.
"It's Historic"
Director Rajesh Bhuyan, who helmed Roi Roi Binale, told NDTV, "This is not Zubeen's movie, it's people's movie." He added, "People came at 4 AM for a movie release. It's historic."
Producer Shyamantak Gautam echoed the sentiment, saying, "Phenomenal response, every screening is house full." He further added, "We are getting queries for the movie from abroad as well."
Producer Shyamantak Gautam also confirmed that there are "over 800 screenings of the movie across the country."
Background
The film, a heartfelt musical drama, features Zubeen Garg's "original voice" recordings, which the team decided to retain as a tribute to the late artist's immense talent and passion for Assamese music.
"We were working on this movie for the last three years. The story and music of the movie were by Zubeen Garg... This was the first musical Assamese movie... We had completed almost all the work on the movie, except for the background music," the filmmaker told ANI.
"Zubeen Garg wanted this movie to be released on 31st October, so we have decided to release it on the same date, not just in Assam, but nationwide... Zubeen Garg's voice is almost 80-90% clear, as we had recorded it using a lapel mic. So we will use his original voice only," he added.
Meanwhile, the investigation into Zubeen Garg's death continues to make headlines.
The singer was allegedly "poisoned" in Singapore, and his bandmate Shekhar Jyoti Goswami has alleged that manager Siddharth Sharma and festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta "deliberately chose a foreign venue to conceal their conspiracy," according to official documents with the police.
Both Sharma and Mahanta have been arrested along with other associates, including Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and co-singer Amritprava Mahanta.
The accused were presented before the Chief Judicial Magistrate court in Guwahati via video conferencing from Baksa district jail, where their judicial custody has been extended by another 14 days.
