The year 2025 saw a diverse range of Assamese film releases, with some achieving notable commercial success while others struggled to find audiences. This report examines the performance of each feature film released theatrically throughout the year through a month-by-month approach, highlighting various factors that determined their status as successes or failures.
The year opened with Gulai Soor, which released on January 17 in around 60 screens across Assam. Directed by Raktim Kamal Baruah, Gulai Soor is a well-made period-comedy heist set in the decades of the 1940s and 1980s and focused on a legendary thief named Diga Soor. It showcased the various adventures of Diga and how he rallies a colourful gang of thieves to outwit a grouchy police inspector in a series of clever thefts. Although moderately successful, the film was appreciated for its focus on humour, its representation of Assamese culture, and its strong production design. It stayed in cinema halls for around three weeks.
In the same week, director Prashanta Kalita’s Kuhipath – Life’s First Lessons was also released. The story followed a bereaved fisherman who inspires three street boys in a remote village in Assam to study and succeed in life. Unfortunately, the hype around Gulai Soor killed the film before it could take off. Kuhipath had a strange fate—the film was shot in 2022, premiered at Cinepolis, Guwahati, in May 2024, and was released online on MovieSaints in July 2024. Only after that was it theatrically released in January 2025, begging the question: what purpose does a theatrical release serve after a film has already been released on an OTT platform?
On January 31, Dipankar Kashyap’s Xitore Xemeka Rati – The Winter Rain was released. Focused on the complex relationship between Partha and Martin, and touching upon same-sex love and societal resistance, the core idea of the film was shamelessly lifted from Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me by Your Name (2017). Other than that, with a thin plot and excessive melodrama, the film suffered from a dull narrative and weak presentation. Xitore Xemeka Rati was released on 16 screens across Assam and barely managed to survive for more than a week. It was also released on one screen in Delhi simultaneously.
Bikash Mochahary’s The Mirage released on February 21 on 15 screens across Assam. The film followed Jagat, a disillusioned young man in Assam who joins an underground rebel group, only to confront the harsh realities behind its violent ideals. What faltered was the film’s refusal to probe deeply into its own politics, instead settling for surface-level motivation and perspective that blunted its urgency. It also failed to run beyond two weeks in Assam’s cinema halls.
February 28 saw the release of one of the most terrible Assamese films of the year—Xopune Pakhi Mele by Bikul Dutta. Shot in Assam and Thailand, the film had a good story idea that was completely wasted by its terrible execution, forcing people out of screenings. Released on 53 screens across Assam without any promotion, the film’s shows were cancelled just three days after release. In many places, it failed to secure even a single day of successful screening.
The month of March saw the release of only one film, Chandra Mudoi’s Gomon: The Last Journey, which hit the screens on March 14. The film attempted to chart a family’s struggle with loss and change, but its overblown melodrama and predictable storytelling flattened all positive aspects. While its thematic enquiry into tradition versus modernity was valid, it could not survive beyond one week in theatres.
On April 4, the disastrous and cringe-worthy Rakshak – The Saviour, directed by Rubul Das, hit the screens. The film followed two brothers—one a police officer, the other a vigilante unconstrained by law. His sole mission was to rescue girls from sexual assault and challenge corrupt ministers in power. The story unfolded so insensibly that it felt as though the director was not only careless but also reckless during production. Poorly shot and clumsily edited, the film left viewers questioning how it was ever released. Many shows were cancelled after just a few days.
The next release came in the form of Hem Chandra Bora’s Jhankar: The Melody of Resonance on April 25. Outdated in style, form, and content, the film traced the musical journey of a young girl from childhood to adulthood, exploring love, family dynamics, and societal expectations around culture, music, and art. With a treatment better suited to television, Jhankar lost the battle for screens after a week. Given his age and declining health, it would be best for Hem Chandra Bora to now take rest.
May and June were comparatively eventful, with back-to-back Assamese releases offering good content and production value. After several delays, Dhanjit Das’s Casetu Nagen was released on May 11 (initially slated for May 9) across 62 screens in Assam. Set in a remote village, the film followed a man uncovering a bizarre identity and mystery tied to a past scam. It earned praise for its performances, humour, and entertaining plot, though some felt it dragged at times. It ran for at least four weeks before Sasanka Samir’s Bhaimon Da took over the screens.
Released on May 23, Bhaimon Da became one of the biggest all-time hits of Assamese cinema, earning approximately Rs 14 crore at the box office. It released on 66 screens across Assam and ran for two months. A biopic of Assamese filmmaker Munin Barua, its success stemmed from nostalgia-driven storytelling and aggressive promotional campaigns. Fearing its overwhelming hype, filmmaker Roopak Gogoi postponed the release of his action entertainer Rudra from June 6 to June 27.
Rudra released on 67 screens across Assam, along with metros such as Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, and Bengaluru. The film centred on a former covert operative confronting his violent past while trying to stop a terror attack in a mall. However, formulaic storytelling and a weak script undermined its impact. Though expected to replicate the success of Bhaimon Da, it fell far short, managing only modest business and failing to break even.
July 18 saw the release of Mrinal Deka’s Malamal Boyyyz. The film attempted a buddy-comedy centred on young boys sharing rented accommodation in Guwahati. Despite collapsing under a bloated screenplay and lacklustre writing, audiences loved it. It stayed in theatres for approximately five weeks and did impressive business. Re-released in select theatres in Guwahati and Jorhat, it announced a sequel titled Malamal Bhootz and eventually completed seven weeks in theatres.
The last release of July was Rajen Das’s Iron Girls, which hit screens on July 25. Focusing on folk culture, particularly the Deodhani dance, the film depicted a family’s struggle to preserve tradition. Poor execution and weak promotion led to its removal from theatres by the fourth day. Rajen Das later appeared on Assamese TV talk shows blaming cinema halls for improper show timings. Iron Girls was re-released on January 16, 2026, at the newly opened Silver Cineplex in Pathsala.
August witnessed the back-to-back release of four Assamese films. August 1 saw a clash between Amardeep Gogoi’s Collage and Aparup Agarwala’s Keyo? Both underperformed at the box office. Keyo? (Why?) attempted to portray an artist’s moral and financial struggles and society’s valuation of art, but its preachy tone and excessive theatricality led to its downfall.
Meanwhile, Collage tried to stitch together narratives surrounding the Assam Agitation and, subtly, the Naxalite movement. However, its strategic structure and lack of contextual grounding made it difficult for audiences to engage. Collage released on 14 screens, while Keyo? released on 20. Both failed to survive beyond a week.
On August 8, a random film titled Kuhelika, directed by Gagan Kumar Sarma, released without posters or trailers. A few posters appeared later, but by then it was too late. The film vanished on the first day itself, with all shows cancelled. Despite being released, it never truly saw the light of day—a unique case study in Assamese cinema.
The next two releases came on August 22—Himjyoti Talukdar’s Taarikh and Bhaskar Goswami’s Joddha: The Warrior of Life. Joddha attempted an earnest rags-to-riches action narrative but suffered from hollow emotional beats and melodrama. Taarikh followed a retired teacher coming to terms with reality after prolonged grief related to the 2008 Assam bomb blasts. Its slow pace and quiet storytelling created a meditative experience for audiences. Taarikh released on 10 screens, while Joddha released on 52 screens. Both ran for more than a few weeks.
The last release of August came on the 29th with Samit Chowdhury’s Dr. Nishant. The film suffered from clumsy direction and unconvincing performances, most notably a middle-aged actor awkwardly cast as a young doctor. Its over-the-top execution made it unintentionally funny. It failed to survive even a week at the box office.
September’s first release was Chandra Mudoi’s Swahid Pranamo Tumak, the Assamese version of his earlier film Purab Ki Awaaz (2017), released on 25 screens. However, its release coincided with the shocking demise of singing sensation Zubeen Garg on September 19. All remaining screenings were cancelled, and no further releases occurred that month as Assam observed a period of mourning.
The first posthumous release came on October 10 with Pakhila Kalita’s Krondon. A film that attempted to address drugs, women’s issues, and human trafficking, it failed miserably on all fronts. Such films hamper the growth of Assamese cinema by dragging down its overall value. It did not survive beyond one week.
On October 31 came Zubeen Garg’s last film, Roi Roi Binale. About a blind singer rising to fame and challenging media and corporate culture, it broke all records for Assamese films, with shows beginning as early as 4 a.m. It reached audiences beyond Assam and even internationally. While technically superb, the film faltered in story and direction, but audiences overlooked its flaws. It enjoyed an exclusive two-week run and continued screening until January 2026. It is currently the highest-grossing Assamese film and shows no signs of being surpassed anytime soon.
The final release of 2025 came on December 5 with Srikrishna Leela – 2 by Rukmini Borah, a sequel to Sri Krishna Leela (2023). A video adaptation of a stage play depicting episodes from Lord Krishna’s life, released during Raas Mahotsav, it attracted little attention. Its casual release suggested a misplaced sense of self-importance. It failed to complete even one week in theatres.
In summary, 2025 was a year of mixed outcomes for Assamese cinema. While there were two major successes and a few moderate performers, the majority of films underperformed, with many failing to survive even a few days in theatres. An analysis of these results offers valuable insights for filmmakers and producers to improve future outcomes.