On Wednesday, the cabinet of Assam agreed to transfer the state’s portion of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) that will be collected from cultural hero Zubeen Garg’s next film to a foundation he founded. Two different investigations are in progress to solve the mystery behind the death of 52-year-old Garg, who passed away in Singapore last month while swimming in the ocean.
On October 31, his final film, Roi Roi Binale, in which he plays the starring part of a blind singer, will be released. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated, “The central government collects GST of 18% on movie tickets costing more than ₹100 and 5% on tickets costing less than that.”
After a month, the state government receives back half of the money that the Centre collected, or 9% and 2.5%, respectively. In consultation with Garg’s wife, Garrima, the cabinet agreed today to donate the money that Assam receives from the Centre to the Kalaguru Artiste Foundation,” he continued. Garg founded the organisation with the goals of assisting artists in times of medical need, providing disaster relief, and helping students pay for their education.
“This action will support the continuation of the foundation’s work and the principles that Garg established it with,” Sarma stated. Over 90 screens in Assam and another 70 screens outside the state in places like Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru are expected to screen Roi Roi Binale concurrently.
During the first week of the film’s release, the majority of Assamese multiplexes and single-screen movie theatres will not be showing any other films. Some theatres will begin showing the first show at 6 am and the last one at 12 am. The much-anticipated final film of the singer, musician, poet, filmmaker, and actor will be screened at a few theatres in small towns that have been closed for years due to a lack of revenue.
Nearly all shows for the first three to four days are completely filled, according to trends with BookmyShow, where movie tickets can be purchased in advance, guaranteeing the film a record-breaking opening for Assamese films.