Bengaluru, February 15, 2025 – In a landmark decision, a Bengaluru consumer court has ruled against PVR Cinemas and INOX (now merged) for wasting movie-goers’ time by playing excessive advertisements before movie screenings. The court directed that movie tickets must mention the actual start time of films, ensuring transparency for consumers.
The ruling came after a complaint filed by Abhishek MR, who alleged that nearly 25 minutes of his time was wasted before the screening of Sam Bahadur in December 2023 due to prolonged commercial ads. The delay disrupted his post-movie work schedule, prompting him to approach the consumer forum.
“Time Is Money”: Consumer Court Slams PVR, INOX
The Bengaluru District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission criticized PVR and INOX for their unfair trade practice, stating:
“In the new era, time is considered as money, each one’s time is very precious, no one has right to gain benefit out of others’ time and money.”
“25-30 (minutes) is not less to sit idle in the theatre and watch whatever the theatre telecasts. It is very hard for busy people with tight schedules to watch unnecessary advertisements.”
Rejecting PVR’s argument that such delays help latecomers, the court ruled:
“Taking beyond the scheduled time for the purpose of telecasting commercial advertisements is unjust and unfair.”
Court’s Verdict: Transparency in Movie Timings
The forum directed PVR and INOX to:
- Mention the actual movie start time on tickets.
- Stop playing ads beyond scheduled showtimes.
- Pay ₹20,000 to the complainant for mental agony and inconvenience.
- Pay ₹8,000 towards litigation expenses.
- Deposit ₹1 lakh as punitive damages to the Consumer Welfare Fund within 30 days.
Ads vs. Public Service Announcements
PVR had argued that theatres are required to show Public Service Announcements (PSAs) under government guidelines. However, the court clarified that such PSAs should not exceed 10 minutes and should be screened before the movie’s actual start time.
It noted that 95% of the ads played before the complainant’s movie were commercial advertisements, not PSAs.
Consumer Rights Strengthened
This ruling sets a precedent for transparency in cinema operations, reinforcing the idea that movie-goers should not be forced to endure long commercial ads disguised as part of their paid experience.
With this decision, the era of endless pre-movie advertisements may finally be coming to an end.
Case: Abhishek vs PVR and ors – Available on LAWFYI.IO
