A Bengaluru district consumer court has held PVR-INOX guilty of unfair trade practices for delaying movie screenings by running excessive advertisements, wasting audiences’ time. The multiplex chain has been directed to pay ₹1 lakh in punitive damages and ensure that actual movie start times are transparently communicated to viewers.
The case was filed by a Bengaluru resident who attended a 4:05 PM screening of “Sam Bahadur” in December 2023 with two family members. However, the feature film began at 4:30 PM, after an extended run of advertisements, disrupting their schedule. The court awarded the complainant ₹20,000 for mental distress and ₹8,000 for litigation costs.
Slamming the multiplex’s conduct, the court remarked that in today’s fast-paced world, “time is valuable”, and no business has the right to profit unfairly from consumers’ time and money. It further noted that 25 to 30 minutes of ads before a film is an unreasonable imposition on viewers.
PVR-INOX defended its practice, citing government regulations mandating public service announcements (PSAs) before movies. However, the court pointed out that these guidelines limit such screenings to a maximum of 10 minutes.
As part of the complaint, the viewer had recorded the advertisements as evidence, prompting PVR-INOX to argue this violated anti-piracy laws. The court dismissed the claim, clarifying that only ads were recorded, not the movie itself, and this was done to expose an issue affecting countless moviegoers.
This ruling could have far-reaching implications for cinema chains across India, as frustrated audiences demand more transparency and accountability in movie screening schedules.
