'Watching ads a waste of time': Bengaluru court orders PVR INOX to pay Rs 1 lakh fine for delaying movies with ads

A Bengaluru district consumer court has found theatre chain PVR INOX guilty of delaying movie screenings by airing excessive advertisements. The court called this an "unfair" trade practice and ordered the multiplex chain to pay Rs 1 lakh in punitive damages. It also directed PVR INOX to clearly communicate the actual start time of movies to viewers.

Complaint against PVR Inox over delayed movie start time

The case was filed by a Bengaluru resident who attended a 4:05 pm show of Sam Bahadur in December 2023 with two family members. However, the movie started only at 4:30 pm after a long series of advertisements, causing inconvenience and disrupting their schedule.

Compensation for inconvenience

The court awarded the complainant Rs 20,000 for the mental distress and inconvenience caused. An additional Rs 8,000 was granted to cover litigation costs.

Court emphasizes value of time

The court stressed that in a fast-paced world, time is valuable, and businesses cannot profit unfairly from consumers' time and money. It observed, "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."

PVR INOX's defense and court's response

PVR INOX argued that government regulations require public service announcements (PSAs) before films. However, the court noted that these guidelines limit such screenings to a maximum of 10 minutes.

The complainant had recorded the advertisements as evidence. PVR INOX contended that this violated anti-piracy laws, but the court dismissed the claim, stating that only advertisements were recorded to highlight an issue affecting many moviegoers.