“An artist has only one politics. Always for the masses, never for the monarch,” says Zubeen Garg’s Raul in Roi Roi Binale. For people who saw the phenomenon that Garg was, the statement signified him as much as the character he played in the film. Garg was not the quintessential star. He was not just happy with the absolute adulation that came his way due to his music. He was determined to make more of it than most of his ilk ever desired. And he did that, not merely through his art. He rose as a personality, outside his artistic capabilities, and united a state together for various causes. He was a revolutionary, if not more.

Interestingly, Roi Roi Binali sees Garg making multiple statements… almost like he knew this might be his last. From corruption in politics to extremism and its impacts to the cultural identity of the state to the business of music – his core field – Raul’s character seems to have been borrowed from the legend himself, known for his ability to cut out the noise and focus on his art.

Garg is not alien to making movies that have roots in the cultural ethos of the state. As an actor, in fact, he has had stellar works like Mon Jai and Dinabandhu, which spoke to the collective youth of the state. But as a filmmaker, Zubeen may have been more driven by creating a viable business for Assamese cinema rather than making strides as an auteur. Mission China will be noted as the movie that brought the industry back from the dead, creating history at the box office. Roi Roi Binale, which will be his last as a producer, does not deviate from the idea of box office viability. Yet, it masterfully mixes many of Garg’s personal ideas and philosophies…. And even his love for the sea.

The movie also eerily has a sequence where Raul almost drowns attempting to swim… something that he eventually succumbs to in real life. All these make Roi Roi Binale a movie that will hold dear to the emotions of the Assamese citizenry for years to come.

Yet, Roi Roi Binale lets you down as a viewer in its primary function. And the blame would fall entirely on the director, Rajesh Bhuyan, and the editor, Protim Khaound. The movie is a case study of amateur editing ruining a movie. Scenes fall flat due to bizarre edits, cutting at wrong moments… and not understanding how to deal with background music while moving from one scene to another. As a viewer you feel the jolts every now and then. It does not help that the background score lacks character – maybe because it was all put together hurriedly after Garg’s unfortunate demise.

The movie is essentially a love story, drawing from movies like Dil Toh Paagal Hai and a dozen others. What makes it stand apart is the equation between the two male leads – the rising star and the established icon. There are no black or grey shades. There are just personal aspirations and beliefs. The backstory for Raul works too. But Mou’s character suffers from inconsistency, and so does the dialogue. One interesting statement that the film makes is how singers have turned into assets for management companies rather than talent. In his personal life Garg had spoken in one of his interviews about how he was used by people – another of his life’s realities finding its way into the script.

The pitfalls notwithstanding, Zubeen Garg is pure joy to watch as he puts up a career-best act as a visually impaired artist with a rockstar attitude. Garg never falters. He receives able support from the rest of the cast – Joy Kashyap as Neel, Mousumi Alifa as Mou and Achurjya Borpatra as Jimmy. And the delightful cameo by Assam’s own Victor Banerjee.

While Garg’s performance may make you wonder about the talent we have lost, the end credits will possibly make you weep. It did that to me. And almost the entire theatre.

And yet, the movie leaves you wishing for more. Wishing that this was not his last movie. For all that he meant, and for everything that he did… Zubeen Garg deserved a better movie as his swansong. In death, as in life, this movie will symbolise how he was let down by people around him.