Assam CM Wishes to Watch Zubeen Garg’s Last Film at Jonaki, But Cinema Hall Remains Closed

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed his eagerness to watch Assam’s cultural icon Zubeen Garg’s final film, Roi Roi Binale, at Jonaki Cinema Hall in Tezpur.

Speaking to the media on Friday morning, CM Sarma said, “I will watch the movie someday at Jonaki Cinema Hall with a special booking, but today, let the people watch the movie peacefully. If I were to attend today, the entire cinema hall would need to be closed, as I personally have 26 security guards with me as per protocol. This would create inconvenience for the public.”

While the film has premiered across Assam, the state’s first-ever cinema hall—Jonaki Cinema Hall—remains shuttered and lifeless. Once a proud symbol of Assam’s cinematic heritage, the hall, built in 1937 under the vision of Rupkonwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, now lies in ruins due to decades of neglect and government apathy.

The Tezpur unit of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) has appealed to the Assam government and the Department of Cultural Affairs to take immediate action to restore and reconstruct Jonaki Cinema Hall. The student body expressed deep disappointment over the failure to preserve a site so integral to Assam’s film and cultural history.

“It’s heartbreaking that while Roi Roi Binale, a film by our beloved Zubeen Garg, is being screened across the state, Jonaki—Assam’s first movie hall—cannot host a single show,” said an AASU leader. “Even when Zubeen himself appealed to the authorities to renovate Jonaki, no action was ever taken.”

Jonaki Cinema Hall was a dream project of Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, the father of Assamese cinema, who envisioned it as a cultural temple for the people of Tezpur and the state. Despite its historic legacy, successive governments have failed to revive or protect the structure.

In 2019, Jatin Bora, then Chairperson of Jyoti Chitraban, visited the site and assured that Jonaki Cinema would be restored to its former glory. Around the same time, Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah also promised to take initiative—promises that, according to locals, remain unfulfilled.

Earlier on Thursday, Tezpur AASU leaders have now urged both the state government and local MLA Prithviraj Rabha to take responsibility for reviving the hall. They emphasized that Jonaki is not merely a building but a living symbol of Assam’s cinematic and cultural identity. “It is the birthplace of Assamese cinema, and bringing it back to life is the least tribute we can pay to Jyoti Prasad Agarwala and Zubeen Garg,” the students stated in a joint release.

As the rest of Assam celebrates the release of Roi Roi Binale, Tezpur’s shuttered Jonaki Cinema Hall stands as a silent reminder of the fading legacy of Assamese cinema—and the urgent need to preserve it.

Also Read: “Zubeen’s Death Is Linked to His Last Movie”: Akhil Gogoi before Watching Roi Roi Binale