Roi Roi Binale: Assam Watches With Tears, Pride and Eternal Love for Zubeen Garg

Assam woke up before sunrise on Friday — not for a festival, not for a rally, but for a film. Roi Roi Binale (Tears Still Flow), the final cinematic journey of Zubeen Garg, opened to packed theatres across the state, turning cinema halls into emotional prayer halls. Crowds lined up from 4 a.m., some holding candles, some wearing black bands, and many carrying Zubeen’s posters like sacred icons. In Guwahati, the first screening began at 4:25 a.m., and fans rushed in as if afraid to miss a moment of their idol’s final presence on screen. Outside, a few performed rituals and poured milk on posters — gestures usually reserved for legends, saints and gods in India.

Assam did not watch a movie today — Assam remembered, cried, and celebrated its voice.

A Story That Feels Like Zubeen’s Heart

In the film, Zubeen plays Raul, a blind musician. The character is gentle, hurting, hopeful and deeply connected to music — a reflection of the real Zubeen Garg in many ways. The narrative is simple and emotional. It focuses more on feelings than twists. The story moves slowly at times, especially in the second half, but that stillness gives space for the audience to breathe, reflect and feel — and perhaps, grieve. This movie isn’t trying to entertain loudly. It is trying to speak softly — like a final conversation.

Zubeen’s Performance: A Farewell With Soul

Even without seeing, Zubeen speaks through his expressions, body language and, most powerfully, his voice. His acting feels honest, almost personal — as if he knew this would be his last gift. Where words are fewer, his silence performs. Where scenes are simple, his presence elevates them.

11 Songs, 11 Memories

Music is the soul of Roi Roi Binale. Zubeen composed and sang all eleven tracks, each carrying his trademark blend of Assamese roots and universal emotion. Some songs trigger tears, some bring smiles, but all feel like messages from Zubeen himself — final echoes of a voice that shaped generations. Watching these songs in a theatre, after losing him, feels like witnessing a musical prayer.

A State in Mourning, A Culture in Celebration

Theatres across Assam reported full houses. People hugged strangers. Many stayed seated long after the credits rolled.

This is cinema, but it is also farewell, tribute, ritual and resistance to forgetting. The Assam government has already announced that the state’s GST share from the film will be donated to a foundation supporting artists — a decision that recognises Zubeen not only as a star, but as a cultural institution.

Not Perfect — But Pure

Yes, there are technical flaws, But these flaws dissolve in emotion. People didn’t come to judge. They came to remember. And what they received was not just a film — but closure, connection, gratitude.

Final Word

Roi Roi Binale is not a commercial release. It is an emotional pilgrimage.

It stands as Zubeen Garg’s final note — soft, aching, beautiful — carried by millions who refuse to let his voice fade. As audiences walked out wiping tears, one thing was clear: Zubeen isn’t a memory. He is a heartbeat. And Assam will hear him forever.