A district consumer court in Bengaluru has found theatre chain PVR INOX at fault for delaying film screenings by airing excessive advertisements, calling it an "unfair" trade practice.
The court also ordered the multiplex chain to pay Rs 1 lakh in punitive damages and ensure that the actual start time of movies is clearly communicated to viewers.
The case was brought forward by a Bengaluru resident who, along with two family members, attended a 4.05 pm show of Sam Bahadur in December 2023.
However, the feature film only began at 4.30 pm after a long series of advertisements, disrupting their schedule and wasting their time.
The complainant was awarded Rs 20,000 for the inconvenience and mental distress caused, along with Rs 8,000 to cover litigation costs.
The court highlighted that in today's fast-paced world, time is valuable, and no business has the right to profit from consumers' time and money unfairly.
Spending 25 to 30 minutes watching advertisements is a significant waste of time, especially for individuals with tight schedules. People seek entertainment for relaxation, but that does not mean they have no other responsibilities, the court observed.
PVR INOX defended its practice by citing government regulations that require the screening of public service announcements (PSAs) before movies.
However, the court noted that these guidelines limit such screenings to a maximum of 10 minutes.
The complainant had recorded the advertisements as evidence, prompting PVR INOX to argue that this violated anti-piracy laws.
The court dismissed this claim, clarifying that only the advertisements, not the film itself, were recorded, and this was done to highlight an issue affecting many moviegoers.
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