New Delhi: Before the clock struck 4, a theatre at Saket’s DLF Avenue had people lined up outside, waiting impatiently for the doors to open. From college students to families with young children in tow, everyone had come to watch Assamese singer and actor Zubeen Garg’s last film Roi Roi Binale.
When the doors opened, people rushed in, trying to find seats which were priced upward of Rs 600. The hall slowly filled up to 80 per cent of its capacity, with mostly Assamese people who had commuted in metros and cabs to make it to Delhi’s first screening of the film at 4:05 pm on Friday.
One man was having a spat with his friend over not asking him for the movie. “I got back from work and Rajiv had an extra ticket. Don’t get mad. We can watch it again tomorrow,” he said, trying to soothe his friend on the other end of the line.
The film began 10 minutes late, with no time wasted on trailers or advertisements. Almost everyone had their phones out, trying to get the perfect screengrab of the film’s title to share on social media. The joy of watching an Assamese film in the heart of Delhi, however, was subdued, because Garg passed away before he could watch his own film release in theatres.
“It is hard to believe he is dead,” said Aditi Rajkhowa, as she continued clicking pictures of the first glimpse of Garg on screen, silhouetted against a stormy sky.
Garg plays a blind musician and singer from Borgang, a small village in Assam’s Sonitpur district, who has come all the way to Guwahati to try his luck. Upset about his blindness being used to gain TRP for a music show, he leaves in a huff, only to find a kind stranger who offers him food in his restaurant and a place to stay.
Soon Raul (Garg) meets Mou (Mousumi Alifa), head of a talent management company, and her fiance Neer (Joy Kashyap), who is also a singer. And the journey of Raul becoming a popular singer begins.
The cameos
Playing on Garg’s popularity and larger-than-life image, the dialogues of Raul are occasionally similar to the witty responses that the singer was known for in real life. At one point, when all the people around Raul tell him that singing has to go hand-in-hand with making money, he retorts, “Had I wanted to do business, I would have dealt with milk back in my village.” Audiences whistled and clapped.
Roi Roi Binale is also the first Assamese film to be shot in Sri Lanka, with scenic backdrop to the songs conceptualised and stylised in detail.
Apart from the performances of other members of the cast, it is the cameos that stand out — Victor Banerjee as Raul’s music teacher, former BJP MLA Angoorlata Deka as Mou’s mother who has Alzheimer’s. And Kaushik Bharadwaj and Yashashree Bhuyan who play a young couple in ’90s Assam.
The film critiques both the violence unleashed by the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), with a reference to the 2004 bombing in Assam’s Dhemaji district that killed 13 school children, and the misuse of the Armed Force Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
Staying true to Garg’s refusal to align with any political party, Raul also tells Neer in one scene that “artistes should always side with the common people, and not the ruler.”
‘Will watch again’
The film, which was three years in making, opened to sold out shows in Assam, and was also released across multiple cities outside the state. Delhi has around nine shows playing across the city over the weekend.
Roi Roi Binale ends with a montage of Garg’s behind-the-scenes moments captured during the shoot of the film. It shows him being goofy with his wife and the film’s unit. A collage of his photos, including those from his childhood, along with some of his popular sayings and lyrics is how the film ends.
By the time the credits started rolling, there was not a single person in the theatre who didn’t have tears in their eyes. One man took out his handkerchief and stood quietly in a dark spot, as the rest walked out slowly.
“I will watch the film again,” said one man, as his friend tried to wipe his tears.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)