The Assam government has announced that its share of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) earned from the upcoming film Roi Roi Binale, featuring the late music icon Zubeen Garg, will be handed over to the Kalaguru Artist Foundation, an organisation founded by the singer himself.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma Wednesday said the decision was taken in a recent state cabinet meeting to honour Garg’s contribution to Assamese culture and music.
“The central government collects GST on movie tickets—18 per cent on tickets priced above Rs 100 and 5 per cent on those below Rs 100. Of this, half the amount, i.e., 9 per cent and 2.5 per cent respectively, is returned to the state government,” Sarma told reporters.
“As there are no provisions for tax exemption on films, the Cabinet has decided to hand over the state’s GST share from Roi Roi Binale to the Kalaguru Artist Foundation. It will help support the foundation and carry forward Garg’s ideals,” he added.
Directed by Rajesh Bhuyan, Roi Roi Binale will release on October 31 and is being billed as the first musical Assamese film. The movie features Garg’s original voice recordings.
“We were working on this movie for the last three years. The story and music were by Zubeen Garg himself,” Bhuyan told ANI. “He had wished for the movie to release on October 31, and we are honouring that—releasing it not just in Assam but across India. His recorded voice is 80–90% clear, so we’ll retain his original vocals.”
Zubeen Garg, one of Assam’s most celebrated singers and composers, passed away in Singapore on September 19. He was there to attend the Northeast India Festival.