Assam stands on the brink of a historic moment as music legend Zubeen Garg’s final film, Roi Roi Binale, gears up for release in theatres on October 31, 2025. Thirty-eight days after Zubeen’s mysterious and untimely death in Singapore at the age of 52, the state continues to reel under heartbreak, grief, protests, and unanswered questions. Yet, amid all the sorrow, his dream project has now become a symbol of strength, love, and pride for millions of Assamese hearts.
The film, which Zubeen starred in, composed, and produced, was nearly complete at the time of his death, needing only some dubbing fixes and some background music to be finalized. Determined to honor his vision, his wife and co-producer Garima Saikia Garg and director Rajesh Bhuyan decided to release the film on the same date Zubeen had wished for: October 31.
Roi Roi Binaletells the story of a visually impaired musician whose world is illuminated by sound, imagination, and love. Through his art, he experiences beauty, heartbreak, and destiny, in a strange way mirroring Zubeen Garg’s own artistic philosophy. Though not a biopic, the film resonates deeply with his real-life persona and emotional tone, especially through his original voice performances and dialogues that echo his characteristic candor.
Historic Bookings and Record-Breaking Craze
The response to Roi Roi Binale at the box-office has been nothing short of unprecedented. Audiences have showered the pre-booking with a thunderous response, which has never happened before in the 90-year history of Assamese cinema. The film has already shattered many existing records and is also set to break many other records further into its run.
The online bookings opened on October 24, and within the first hour, over 15,000 tickets were sold, with over 5 lakh tickets booked statewide by day’s end, according to various sources. The pre-release business has now crossed Rs 50 lakh, an all-time record for Assamese cinema. On BookMyShow, nearly every show is now marked “Filling Fast” or “Sold Out”.
Distributed by Siddharth Goenka of Goenka Enterprises, Roi Roi Binale will be released in 80 cinema halls across Assam, with 14 in Guwahati alone and over 40 theatres across India — including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Chandigarh, Bhubaneswar, and Dehradun. The film has received 31 shows in a day in Bangalore alone. The number of screens is now increasing as many new cinema halls are targeted to open with Roi Roi Binale on and after October 31, 2025. The film’s reach is also unprecedented as it will be released in cities where Assamese films are rarely screened, including Dhanbad, Ranchi, Jaipur, and Goa. An international release is also expected very soon.
Roi Roi Binale has also set a historic benchmark for Assamese cinema with its unprecedented show timings. For the first time in the state’s film history, an Assamese movie will have early morning screenings, beginning as early as 5:00 AM at TNZ Cinemas in Tezpur, followed by a 5:20 AM show at IMP Cinemas and a 5:45 AM screening at SVF Cinemas, both also in Tezpur. In Guwahati and other towns, shows will start from 6:00 AM onwards, continuing throughout the day and late into the night, with the final show scheduled at 11:55 PM. As per Assam’s state policy, however, no movie screening is permitted to start after 12:00 midnight, making Roi Roi Binale’s nearly round-the-clock schedule an exceptional event that maximizes theatre operations across all possibilities.
The Scenario in Guwahati
In Guwahati alone, the film is set to achieve a record-breaking 178 shows (approx.) on its opening day — the highest ever for an Assamese film. Every theatre in the city has pushed its scheduling capacity to the limit to accommodate the overwhelming demand. Cinepolis, Central Mall will screen the film 19 times a day, while PVR, City Centre has scheduled an astounding 23 daily shows, the maximum number possible for a four-screen complex. Similarly, INOX Insignia, Aurus Mall and Matrix Hall, Matrix Mall will each run respectively 23 and 12 shows per day, canceling all other Hindi and English movies to make way for Roi Roi Binale. Smaller halls, too, have dedicated their entire schedules to the film — with single-screen cinemas running up to six shows daily and two-screen theatres hosting twelve, utilizing all their possible time slots. The same is true for all other places and cities of Assam like Nagaon, Jorhat, Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, etc.
Opening and Reopening of Old Cinema Halls
The film has also become a catalyst for the reopening of several long-closed cinema halls across the state. Among these are some of Assam’s most nostalgic theatres, including Carnival Cinema in Guwahati, which has now been refurbished and renamed TS Cinema at Times Square Mall, Smriti Gopal in Jorhat, and Ganesh Talkies in Jagiroad, each reopening its doors after many years of silence to honor Zubeen Garg’s final work and screen it for the public.
In addition to restoring old venues, Roi Roi Binale has also inspired the launch of new theatres in towns like Hojai and Tihu in Assam, promoting a fresh investment and enthusiasm in regional cinema infrastructure. This resurgence follows a tradition closely associated with Zubeen Garg himself — a phenomenon first witnessed during the release of his 2017 blockbuster Mission China, which had prompted the reopening of six theatres across Assam. True to form, even in his absence, Zubeen Garg’s final film continues to breathe new life into Assamese cinema, which he dearly aspired to during his lifetime.
The Ticket Price Controversy
Amid the euphoria surrounding Roi Roi Binale, a controversy erupted when fans noticed a sudden price hike in the tickets offered by national multiplex chains such as PVR and Cinepolis. Prices reportedly surged by Rs 100–Rs 250 — from Rs 180–Rs 220 to Rs 350–Rs 410 for regular seats, with premium tickets going up to Rs 650. Many fans voiced outrage, accusing the national theatre chains of exploiting the public emotions tied to Zubeen Garg and his final appearance on the big screen.
In response, Team Roi Roi Binale issued an official clarification, explaining that the price hikes were a result of dynamic pricing, a common system where rates automatically increase once 60–80% of seats are booked, a mechanism used for all major tentpole films. However, given the emotional significance of the film in Assam, the producers requested the national chains to suspend dynamic pricing.
It is also noteworthy that the Assam-based cinema hall owners did not adopt such tactics, respecting the film’s sentimental value and ensuring fair access for local audiences. On October 27, 2025, the All Assam Cinema Hall Owners Association held a press meet, where Rajiv Bora, owner of Gold Cinemas in Assam, briefed the media about the issue and clarified that the pricing controversy was not the doing of the Assam cinema hall owners. It specifically occurred only in those cinema halls controlled by management and programming teams of Delhi and Mumbai. He emphasized that the local halls were fully aligned with the film’s sentimental importance and had kept ticket prices fair for fans.
Despite the controversy and the rise in ticket prices among national multiplexes, advance bookings continued to soar, and all shows for the first three days were sold out three days before the release. Certain sections of the fans also emphasized that while national chains follow standard practices for major films, Roi Roi Binale is particularly dear to the people of Assam and hence, commercial exploitation should be avoided.
Recognizing the film’s cultural and emotional significance, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi wrote to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, urging the government to declare the film tax-free throughout the state. The request focused on the aspect of equity that making the film more accessible would honor Zubeen Garg’s lifelong contributions to Assamese culture and people and ensure that audiences across Assam could experience his final work without any financial worries.
Zubeen Garg Resides in the Heart of the People
Director Rajesh Bhuyan describes the response to the film as “a reflection of people’s undying love for Zubeen.” He credits Zubeen’s Mission China (2017) with reviving the Assamese film industry and believes Roi Roi Binale will open “new doors of opportunity” for regional filmmakers. Currently, the devotion and excitement among the people is so immense that even if a 3 AM show were scheduled, it would still be houseful in the blink of an eye.
Roi Roi Binale is projected to run for at least three months in the cinema halls of Assam. In honor of the departed soul of Zubeen Garg, there will be no traditional premiere show with festivities; instead, audiences will pay their personal tributes to him before attending their scheduled screenings on their respective days.
Cast and Crew who made the Film Possible
Directed by Rajesh Bhuyan and written by Rahul Gautam Sharma, Roi Roi Binale features Zubeen Garg as both the music director and lead actor, with Poran Borkatoky composing the background score. Produced by Shyamantak Gautam and Garima Saikia Garg under the banner of Zeal Creation and iCreations, the film also carries a posthumous credit to Zubeen Garg as a producer. The cinematography is handled by Sumon Dowerah and Gyan Gautam, while editing is done by Protim Khaound.
Shot across Assam and Sri Lanka, Roi Roi Binale is the first Assamese film that will be presented in Dolby Atmos, with sound design and mixing by Amrit Pritam and Debajit Changmai. The cast includes Zubeen Garg in the role of a blind singer, Mousumi Alifa as the female lead, and Achurjya Borpatra in his debut role, along with Joy Kashyap, Yashashree Bhuyan, Kaushik Bharadwaj, Saurabh Hazarika, and Anushka Kashyap.
With only a few days left before the release of the film, many Zubeen Garg fans have come out united and enthusiastically stepped forward to promote the movie by putting up the posters across various locations of the state themselves. They have also urged viewers not to record the film with mobile cameras and share the clips on social media. Many fans have also appealed to the authorities to grant the film an indefinite screening in a cinema hall in Assam, similar to how Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge ran for decades at Maratha Mandir Theatre in Mumbai. In between these phases of excitement, fans are also equally committed to seeking justice for their dearest star.
